Delinquent Duo
by DelinquentDuo
Summary: Is there really a line between good and evil? Can two former bad guys become the new good guys? This is the question that is raised as Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor try their hand at entering Duel Academy...You heard me. AU fic.
1. Pass or Fail? Old and New Heroes Arrive!

Delinquent Duo is actually the name of a Duel Monsters card. But it also symbolizes two miscreant teenagers in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. And you know who you are. These two will be joining the new generation of duelists attending Duel Academy. Oh, and by the way, if I have to hear a thing about their ages, I swear to God I'll scream like a little girl! Just enjoy the story ya'll, okay? Ahem. Anyway, here's my disclaimer.

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, the GX series, or any related characters. Oh, except my OCs. They're mine.**

Arrival of the Delinquent Duo

It was an awful day in Domino City. It was raining heavily. Almost everyone was indoors with exception to a pair of teenage boys strolling towards the KaibaCorp building, under a pair of umbrellas. The one on the left had greenish-blue Beatle hair, round yellow glasses, a baseball cap with insect antennae, a striped yellow and black shirt and black shorts. The second (on the right) had wild brown hair with pink streaks in the front and a wool cap with an indecipherable Japanese kanji on the front, as well as a brown vest, blue jeans with the knees worn out and a green t-shirt. They both had circular devices and a deck of cards fixed to their wrists (Duel Disks).

"So, that's where the exam is being held?"

"Yes. And with that, a whole school's worth of budding duelists ripe for the swarm!"

"Let's just get there already. My shoes are starting to fall apart!"

"That's what you get for using duct tape to hold them together!"

The boy with the glasses narrowed his eyes as they started to pick up speed, heading for KaibaCorp.

_As soon as we get into Duel Academy, we'll finally become strong enough to defeat the Egyptian Gods!_

------------Cue Theme Music------------

Chapter 1 – Pass or Fail? Old and New Heroes Arrive!

Inside KaibaCorp was an enormous arena, where several teenagers were battling hard, but not with their fists, but with monsters of several varieties. It was a popular card game that stretched across the globe, called Duel Monsters. In the stands were other teenagers, each wearing a jacket of a different color (red, blue, yellow, and only one student in black).

"How could they hold entrance exams on a horrible day like this?"

Ra Yellow student, Syrus Truesdale griped as he shook the water off his yellow coat, not knowing he was getting the other students soaked.

"You know," Slifer Red student, Jaden Yuki piped in, covering his head, "shaking your coat around like that's only making it worse! You're getting everyone drenched!"

Syrus came to a crashing halt as several soaked students glared at him. He felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his head as their eyes pierced through his heart.

"Um…sorry about that, everyone."

"You'd _better_ be sorry, shrimp," The student in black grumbled, wiping the condensation from his soda. "You messed up my hair. The Chazz needs to look good even off the dueling field."

Syrus put his coat back on and sat down between Jaden and another Ra student, Bastion Misawa.

"So, Bastion," Syrus asked, "what do you think of the new students so far?"

Bastion put his hand to his chin. "Well, each one of them has their own ups and downs, for sure. But my attention is on that tall one over there. He's been completely calm during his entire duel."

Jaden and Syrus looked in the direction of a tall kid with long black hair and piercing teal blue eyes. Right now he was dueling one of the examiners (who shall remain anonymous). The examiner had 1600 Life Points and two monsters on the field, Slot Machine (2000/2300) and Rare Metal Dragon (2400/1200) as well as a trap called "Call of the Haunted." The kid had 800 Life Points, a face down card, and a Koumori Dragon (1500/1200) in Defense mode.

"Well, kid, you put up a good duel, but I'm afraid your winning streak ends here. Slot Machine! Destroy his dragon! Jackpot Barrage!"

Slot Machine wrenched its handle as the slots started to spin, each one stopping on a "7". The Slot Machine stomped forward and fired its cannon on its right arm. The kid shielded himself with his Duel Disk as his dragon was blown to bits. He still remained calm and smiled at the examiner.

"Keep smiling, kid. It'll look good when your Life Points run out. Rare Metal Dragon! Finish him off!"

"Sorry," the kid said as he raised his face down card. "I activate my trap card Enchanted Javelin! See, when one of your monsters attacks, I get to increase my Life Points by your monster's attack points." His Life Points, indeed, did rise to 3200.

"I'll still attack your Life Points! Go, Dragon! Attack with Atomic Heat!"

The Rare Metal Dragon roared as a burst of white fire streamed from its mouth, surrounding the kid who shielded himself again as his Life Points dropped back to 800. The examiner scoffed at him.

"So you saved yourself one more turn. This duel is already done."

"Not if I say so. It's my move!" The kid draws a card from his duel disk. "Nice. I activate the spell card, Dark Hole! Now, all monsters on the field are dead meat! Good thing I didn't summon any yet."

A vortex opens over the playing field, creating a huge wind. The kid's long black hair blew in the wind as Slot Machine and Rare Metal Dragon were sucked into the void. The vortex soon closed.

"No!" The examiner shouted. "My monsters!"

"And now, I summon Harpie's Brother (1800/600) in attack mode!"

And right there stood a tall figure in leather with red wings and a long red wrist claw. The examiner looked on, showing no fear.

"Now, Harpie's Bro, wage a head-on attack! Cyclone Wings!"

Harpie's Brother flapped his wings, making a tornado moving towards the examiner. The examiner shielded himself as he was surrounded by the tornado and his Life Points dropped to 0.

"Well done then. Congratulations. Welcome to Duel Academy, Mr.…what did you say your name was again?"

The kid was about to leave when he turned back around. He smiled sheepishly at the examiner."Oh. It's Mokuba. Mokuba Kaiba."

Chazz spit out his soda. "Did he say _Kaiba_?!"

"Yes," Bastion answered. "Apparently, that young man is Seto Kaiba's younger brother."

"That's sweet!" Jaden shouted, "I've _gotta_ duel him!"

Syrus put a hand to his head. "There he goes again." Half way through the exams, Jaden wanted to duel at least four of the examinees who passed.

"That's just like you, Jaden," a female voice said. "Zero patience."

The guys turned to their left as a blonde girl in white with blue trim sat down next to them.

"Hey, Ale-MMPH!" Jaden was pushed out of the way by Chazz Princeton, who looked ecstatic to see her.

"Hi, Alexis!"

"You're a worm, Chazz," Alexis snapped. "Sit down."

Chazz's hair drooped a bit as he sat back in his seat. Syrus turned to Alexis. He seemed equally ecstatic to see her (no surprise). "I thought you were sitting with the other Obelisks."

"Yeah, but they never stop criticizing the duelists down there. I got sick of it, so I came to sit in a more friendly area."

"A great idea," Syrus said, grinning widely. "No one's friendlier than us!"

Alexis sweatdropped. "Riiiiight. Anyway, who's up next?"

A gaudy feminine voice sounded on the PA. "Attention. Will…is that really his name? Ugh...Weevil Underwood, please report to the arena for your exam. Weevil Underwood, report to the arena."

"Does that answer your question?" Bastion asked.

"They let Crowler use that thing?!" Jaden asked, in horror.

* * *

Yeah. Mokuba's here too. Scream for praise, fangirls! And you should know those two teens at the beginning are, in fact, Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor. I don't need to mention what I said earlier about their ages. Just go with it. ON TO THE PREVIEWS! 

Weevil returns to the dueling field after who knows how long and his VERY lovely examiner has a few things planned for him. The next chapter is called **Secret Garden: Former Champion VS Beautiful Examiner!**

Oh, and don't forget to review!**  
**


	2. Former Champion VS Beautiful Examiner

**Chapter 2 – Secret Garden! Former Champion VS Beautiful Examiner**

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

The blue-haired teen pushed the other duelists out of the way (and pushed him back, I might add) as he made his way to the dueling arena. He straightened up his hat and glasses as he shuffled the cards in his deck. As the teen (ah, screw it. We know it's Weevil) approached his side of the arena, his face went bright red as he saw his examiner: a tall, curvy, red-haired woman with rectangular glasses, and mellow brown eyes. She wore a white blouse, a black skirt, leather boots, and a red jacket tied around her waist. For some reason, Weevil felt his glasses slip a bit.

"So, what's your name, hon?"

He tried to break his gaze from the examiner. He could feel steam coming out of his collar as he tried to be civil (a bit late for that, though).

"W-weevil Underwood, ma'am."

"Weevil? That's an odd name, but I believe I've heard of you somewhere."

Suddenly, Weevil seemed quite confident and smiled, pushing up his glasses. "Well, I was the duelist champion of Japan at one point…"

The examiner put her hands together and smiled sweetly. "Oh! I remember! Didn't Yugi Mutou wail on you in the first round of Duelist Kingdom?"

Weevil growled angrily. "Don't remind me."

"Oh well. Anyway, my name is Sharon Autumn and I will be your examiner for today. Of course, I imagine you won't last long, but I do owe the 'Champion of Japan' a fair chance. Don't ya think?" She winked at Weevil, who had to cover his face to hide his blushing.

"He's the Champion of Japan?!" Jaden shouted in surprise. "That's so weird! I've never even heard of the guy!"

"That's understandable," Bastion replied. "I've done some research and found out he only became the champion of Japan by cheating his way through most of his duels. However, I would like to see how he stacks up against our examiner."

"Speaking of stacked, who is that woman anyway?" Syrus asked as hearts lit up in his eyes. "She's a knockout!"

"I've never seen her before. Perhaps she's a new examiner."

"She can examine me, anytime!"

"Down, boy," Alexis said sternly.

Back on the floor, the wild-haired teen, Rex Raptor, tapped his foot and watched with jealousy as Weevil struggled to resist Autumn's feminine wiles. He felt a vein pulse in the back of his head.

"Weevil, you lucky son of a…Why couldn't _I_ get the hot chick examiner?!"

At that point, a snide female voice rang through his head. _Bon voyage, loser! And thanks for the room._

Rex shook his head hastily. "Maybe it's better that way."

Autumn put her duel disk on her left arm and smiled at Weevil, who was still blushing. "Hope you're ready. It's a shame I have to send you packing myself. You really are a cutie."

"You're too kind, really, but enough about that! I believe I have an exam to pass!"

"Or fail…"

"LET'S DUEL!"

Both duelists Life Points were set to 4000. They both drew five cards.

"Hmm…I suppose I better make the first move, then." Autumn drew a card from her deck. "I summon Darkworld Thorns (1200/900) in Attack Mode!" The monster materializing on the field looked like a drooling Venus-flytrap tangled in its vines and covered in thorns. "Then, I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"That's all? I was expecting something bigger from an examiner." Weevil was able to get back in his stride, though he didn't bother to wipe the blood from his nose as he drew his card. "Hmm…Here goes nothing! I'll summon Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400/900) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil's monster looked like a cross-breed between a mantis and a dragonfly.

"Now, my Kamakiri! Tear up that disgusting weed!"

"Disgusting?! Now, that's no way to talk about my cards!" Autumn was in a huff as the Flying Kamakiri closed in on her Darkworld Thorns…

"I activate my face down trap, Hallowed Life Barrier!" She shouted as she raised her face down card. "It works like this. When I send a card from my hand to the graveyard, the damage I take is reduced to zero!"

A barrier formed around Darkworld Thorns as Weevil's Flying Kamakiri gets pushed back. Weevil glared at her.

"Lucky move. I end my turn, then."

"It's not luck that saved my Life Points, Champion of Japan." Autumn drew her card and smiled. "I sacrifice my Darkworld Thorns and summon Queen of Autumn Leaves (1800/1500) in Attack mode!"

Her monster would've been mistaken for the examiner herself, if her hands didn't look like bare tree branches. She had violet red hair, a matching dress, and a crown of red leaves adorning her head.

"Now, my queen, attack his Kamakiri! Red Leaf Whirlwind!"

The Queen of Autumn Leaves raised her hand as she whipped up a whirlwind of leaves from out of nowhere. The whirlwind tore Flying Kamakiri #1 to pieces as Weevil tried to stay on his feet. His Life Points dropped to 3600.

"Big deal. As soon as my Flying Kamakiri #1 is destroyed, Flying Kamakiri #2 (1500/1000) takes the stage!"

As the whirlwind died down, a giant mantis emerged from Weevil's deck to the field. It poised its blades into attack mode.

"Very good move, young man. But notice that you don't see me insulting your insect monsters." Autumn stared at Weevil with stern eyes. That flirty woman from before seemed to be gone. "Being a duelist is all about being a good sport, you see?"

"Like I really care about being a good sport!" Weevil yelled at her. "The only reason I decided to apply here was to become stronger. Strong enough to defeat Yugi's Egyptian God Cards!" At that point, Weevil burst into tears. "I WANT THEM SO BAD!"

In the stands, Jaden and the rest of the group were trading expressions of embarrassment, confusion, and a number of sweatdrops.

"Crying in the middle of a duel? That's a new low." Bastion said.

"How embarrassing," Alexis said, with her hand on her temple.

"I should just throw that chump out myself," Chazz said, disgusted.

"I'm guessing he hasn't been champion in a looooong time," Jaden said.

Autumn smirked at Weevil. "Well, if you're applying here for something like that, you'll have to work extra, _extra_ hard. Anyway, I'll end my turn with two face down cards."

"Fine!" Weevil drew his card and smiled wickedly. _Excellent. Just what I needed, but I can't use this just yet. I want to make her squirm like an earthworm._

Looking on from the sidelines, Rex saw Weevil's signature smirk.

_Looks like he's drawn his trademark. Put that chatty hot chick in her place!_

"First, I'll sacrifice my Flying Kamakiri #2," Weevil said as his monster disappeared, "and I'll summon Saber Beetle (2400/1800) in Attack mode!"

In his Kamakiri's place, a giant beetle stood with a glowing horn.

"Saber Beetle! Attack her Queen of Autumn Leaves!"

As Saber Beetle's horn charged up, Autumn lifted one of her face down cards. "I activate my trap, Karma Cut!"

"So what?"

"So, if I discard one card from my hand, I get to remove your Beetle from play."

"Huh?!"

And right before Weevil's eyes, one of his strongest monsters was turned to dust. He glared at her angrily.

"You seem so upset. Are you giving up already? It's probably better that way."

"Grr…I'll beat you soon enough. I'll set two cards face down and end my turn!"

Weevil smirked again. _Let's see how she likes this!_

Autumn looked down at Weevil's face down cards with concern, and then at Weevil's pathetic poker face, then draws her card. _I don't like where this is going. He must have something planned with those facedown cards. I don't have anything that can get rid of them right now, but…_

"First I'll activate my face down card, Magical Thorn! This continuous trap will cost you 500 Life Points for each card you send to the graveyard."

Weevil wasn't phased. "So what? I don't need to discard anything so soon."

"I know you don't, sweetie. That's why I'm going to make you, with the card in my hand. I play the spell Card Destruction! Now, we have to discard both our hands and draw the same number of cards from our decks. And thanks to Magical Thorn's effect, since you have two cards, you lose 1000 Life Points."

Weevil growled. As he discarded and drew two cards, his Life Points drop to 2600.

"Now, Queen of Autumn Leaves, attack his Life Points! Red Leaf Whirlwind!"

* * *

I apologize that my style of narrating duels is very long. But at least it's a break from other authors who use script format. ANYWAY...

The battle continues with Weevil and Autumn as they dish out plenty of trash talk. Part two of the duel continues. **Seesaw Duel: The Clash Continues!**


	3. Seesaw Duel: The Clash Continues

Chapter 3 – Seesaw Duel: The Clash Continues!

"I don't think so! I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device! Now, your Queen of Autumn Leaves returns to your hand!"

"It doesn't matter, really," Autumn said sweetly as she took her card off her Duel Disk, "I still have the upper hand in this duel. So, to end my turn, I'll summon Anti-Aircraft Flower (0/1600) in Defense mode."

The monster she summoned is a trio of plants that look like lilies with laser cannon stamens. At that same time, Crowler called for two more students to take their exam duels.

"And I'm afraid that's the best I can do," Autumn said, smugly, "but honestly, I really was expecting something bigger from the Champion of Japan."

"Good. You'll _get_ something bigger!" Weevil drew another card from his deck. His eyes widened with excitement. "Hehehehe…I activate the spell card Insect Barrier! As long as this card is on the field, you can't attack me with any Insect monsters!"

"But I don't have any Insects on my field!"

"You do _now_!" Weevil lifted his face down card. "I activate my trap card: DNA Surgery! It lets me turn all monsters on the field into insects!"

Autumn looked on in horror as her Anti-Aircraft flower sprouted beetle-like pincers around its barrels. Weevil laughed haughtily.

"Think of it this way: your flowers are much prettier now! And now, I summon Petit Moth (300/200) in Defense Mode!" The girls in the audience squealed in a mixture of disgust and adoration as Weevil's monster, an oversized green caterpillar monster, materialized on the field. This, however, didn't seem to faze him.

"It may seem small now, but it won't be that way for long, once I wrap it with my Cocoon of Evolution!"

Weevil placed a second card on his disk. Petit Moth squirmed as it was quickly wrapped up in pink silk. It now remained completely still. Only its heartbeat could be heard.

"You wanted something bigger, well you've got it! I suggest you watch carefully, for in the next five turns, my Petit Moth will undergo an amazing transformation…from measly little caterpillar, to unstoppable Great Moth! And with my Insect Barrier out, as well as my DNA Surgery card, you may as well surrender to me right now!"

"Even if I can't attack, I still won't surrender, Champion of Japan! My draw!" _Let's see…I can't attack him head on since he'll just turn my monsters into bugs, but I can't let this chump win. Especially before I start my official job! Wait…since all my monsters are now insects…hmm…oh yes!_

"I summon Woodland Sprite (900/400) in Attack Mode!" Woodland Sprite, a monster that looked like a wooden marionette with leaves on its body, came on to the field. It then sprouted wings from its back as well as a set of spindly insect legs from its sides.

"It will never do you any good!" Weevil mocked her, "My Insect Barrier prevents you from attacking me anyway. However, I still get to attack you, once I summon more monsters!"

"Yes, I know," Autumn said calmly, "but my Flower has a special ability. I can sacrifice one insect monster on my side of the field to deal 800 points of damage to your Life Points. I bet you forgot about that!"

Weevil's eyes widened. He had actually never even seen that card before. Now, she can bring his Life Points down to zero before the Great Moth emerges!

"Anti-Aircraft Flower, activate your ability! Pollen Pulse!"

Woodland Sprite disappeared. The Flower's laser cannon charged up and launched a wave of energy that looks amazingly like Woodland Sprite. The energy blast struck Weevil, who fell back and nearly dropped the cards in his hand. His Life Points also dropped to 1800.

"Grr…!"

"Unfortunately, my Flower's ability only lets me sacrifice one bug monster per turn, but I can wait. After all, I have to summon another monster first."

"Big deal." Weevil draws his next card. _Excellent!_

"I summon Neo Bug (1800/1700) in Attack Mode!" Neo Bug, a great green bug like a cross between a mantis and a spider emerges onto the field, buzzing threateningly.

"Neo Bug, shred up her Anti-Aircraft Flower!" In seconds, Anti-Aircraft Flower was torn to pieces. "Now you can't use your Flower's ability anymore!"

"Yes, I know…so can I take my turn already?"

"Go for it. Nothing can save you from my Great Moth! Four turns to go…"

"I know that." Autumn draws a card from her disk. _I have to destroy that cocoon before it hatches, but nothing in my hand can do anything right now. _"I'll end my turn without playing any cards."

"What a crying shame." Weevil draws. "A shame I have to turn such a stunning woman into bug chow! Neo Bug, attack her life points directly!"

Autumn screamed as Neo Bug took a slice out of her and her Life Points, which dropped to 2200. She brushed a lock of hair out of her face, watching Weevil laugh hysterically.

"Once it's my turn, you won't be laughing for long."

"Oh-h-h, yes I will. I'll end my turn now. Oh, and by the way, I don't think you'll last the next three turns before my Moth emerges."

"We'll see about that." Autumn draws. "I play Rafflesia Seduction (300/900) in Defense Mode and end my turn."

A red vine plant with teeth is summoned to the field. In that instant, it sprouted antennae from behind its petals and its vines became more ridged.

"Fine. My draw!" Weevil drew his next card. "I summon Leghul (300/350) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil summoned a purple worm monster with large pincers.

"Now, Neo Bug! Destroy her Rafflesia!"

"I don't think so! I activate my face down, Spiritual Earth Art – Kurogane! Now, I can tribute my Rafflesia Seduction and special summon a monster from my graveyard! And I choose…Des Dendle (300/2000) in Defense Mode!"

A creepy black fungus with blue flowers materialized on the field. A closer look revealed that it appeared to be infested with ants. Neo Bug's pincer collided with Des Dendle, whose flowers gathered and pushed it back in a burst of blue petals, causing Weevil to lose 200 Life Points (1600).

"Some champion you are."

"I'm not done with you, yet! Leghul!"

"WHAT?!"

"SIC 'ER!!" Leghul's body twisted around as it quickly darted over to Autumn and bit her in the arm, causing her 300 points of damage (1900). "I should've known you'd have a card like that."

"You're right. My Leghul can bypass your monsters and attack you directly! We're practically tied right now! Hehehehehe!"

"True, but I guarantee you I won't let it end this way."

"That's where you're wrong. For in two turns, my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth will emerge and you will be destroyed! Hehehehe…HAHAHAHAHAH!! All right, I'm done."

"Good, because it's my move now." Autumn draws her card. She looked at it and smiled.

On the sidelines, Rex's eyes narrowed. _I don't like that smile…_

* * *

Um...not much to say. I guess I can still thank you guys for reading, anyway. And to one of my reviewers, Yeah! Mokuba's examiner DOES resemble Bandit Keith. I didn't even realize that til I read your review! Huh.

The battle continues as trump card after trump card is literally whipped from the opposing players' Duel Disks. But what happens when Weevil's cocoon hatches? What what happens when **The Duel Concludes: Horrifying Great Moth!**


	4. Horrifying Great Moth!

To my reviewer, demonfan, Weevil's personality won't always be like this. Trust me. ON WITH THE DUEL!

**Chapter 4 – The Duel Concludes: Horrifying Great Moth!**

"Let's see…first, I play the Spell card, Remove Trap. This allows me to destroy one of your trap cards, like say…DNA Surgery, for instance."

As soon as she played the card, Weevil's DNA Surgery card shattered right before his eyes. A closer look revealed the reflection of the card falling to pieces in his glasses.

"Big deal. I still have more Life Points than you! And more monsters, I might add!"

"That's no biggie. Because my monsters now change back to their original types and thus, your Insect Barrier is nullified."

Weevil was shocked. DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier was his trump combo. Despite this, he remained calm. What had he to worry about?

"Right now, my biggest threat is your Neo Bug. So, I summon Vampire Orchis (1700/1000) in attack mode!"

A tall tree with a carnivorous face materialized on the field. Adorning its branches were several fruits with gnashing tiny, sharp teeth.

"And now, I'll activate Des Dendle's ability and attach it to Vampire Orchis!"

Des Dendle now seemed to be sprouting from the roots of the Vampire Orchis tree. Orchis smiled maliciously.

"Now, I play the spell, Vile Germs, from my hand! This raises my Orchis' attack by 300 points. Not enough to take out your Cocoon, I admit, but I can still squash your Neo Bug!"

Vampire Orchis glowed with a black aura as his attack power was raised to 2000.

"Vampire Orchis, destroy his Neo Bug!" The tree monster's biting fruit reached out using vines to rip Weevil's Neo Bug to shreds. Weevil watched as his Bug was literally eaten alive and his Life Points dropped to 1400.

"Grr…"

"This is really fun and all, but I'm in a hurry, so can you please make your move so I can finish you off?"

"You're not _going_ to finish me off!" Weevil draws a card. _I don't have my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth in my hand…but this will be just as good._ "You're in luck. It's time for my cocoon to hatch!"

"What?? That's impossible! It's one turn too early!"

"It's not completely evolved but…my Great Moth will rise right now!" He starts to shout at the cocoon as he lays his card on his disk. "You heard me, Great Moth! Emerge from your cocoon!"

The cocoon on Weevil's side of the field started to crack as a screeching noise was heard. Soon a pair of giant green wings emerged from the cocoon, as well as six large, spindly legs. The wings flapped down, raising a cloud of toxic dust as Great Moth's body emerged from the cocoon (2600/2500). The Great Moth let out another horrible shriek as Weevil laughed haughtily.

"That thing's amazing!" Jaden shouted with excitement.

"Big deal," Chazz scoffed as he sipped his soda again. "I've seen better bugs on the bottom of my shoe."

"This duel is mine!" Weevil shouted. "Great Moth, attack her with Poison Dust Storm!"

Great Moth flapped its wings again, raising even more poison particles from its wings. Vampire Orchis' skin started to turn gray as it coughed and choked on the poison dust before toppling over and shattering. Autumn winced as her Life Points lowered to 1300.

"And if that's not enough, I'm going to have Leghul attack as well, just for giggles!"

Leghul squirmed its way over to Autumn and took a pinch into her leg. Her Life Points dropped to 1000 as she shook Leghul off her leg.

"Oh well. If the examiner thing doesn't work out, you can always try out for magazines." Weevil smiled maliciously. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult. Besides, I already have a job." She drew a card. _I don't have a card in my hand that can help me beat that thing. I do have Wingweaver, but I need to sacrifice two monsters to summon it first. Plus, I already used my Card Destruction Spell, so I can't discard it. But if I'm going to go out in a blaze of glory, I may as well reduce his Life Points a bit more._

"I summon Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) in Attack Mode!" Autumn summoned a dark red tomato with a vampire face to the field. Weevil stared at Autumn and her monster.

"You're only making this harder on yourself."

"I don't care. Mystic Tomato! Devour his Leghul!" Mystic Tomato hopped forward and chomped down on Weevil's Leghul as it tried to squirm away. It promptly ripped Autumn to shreds right before his eyes as Weevil's Life Points dropped to 300.

"I never surrender in a duel. I'll fight to the end, even if it means losing."

"Heh. I like your attitude. But it's my move now!" Weevil draws his card as Autumn started flirting with him again.

"You may not be champion anymore, but you still have oodles of potential. I can tell just by looking at you…cutie." Autumn winked at Weevil, making him blush again. He shook his head furiously.

"You're just trying to soften me up! But it's not going to work! Great Moth! Attack her Mystic Tomato and finish her off! Poison Dust Storm!"

Great Moth released more poison particles from its wings. Mystic Tomato started to suffocate as it rolled on its back and shattered. And with that, Autumn's Life Points dropped to zero. She smiled at him.

"Well, I needn't say it but you passed. Welcome to…"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OH YEAH!" Weevil interrupted with his little victory dance, which looks very similar to the Numa Numa guy. "I ROCK! I TOTALLY ROCK!"

"Weevil?"

"Wait. I'm not done. YES! WHO'S FLYSWATTING WHO NOW?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! All right, I'm done."

Autumn stared at him blankly, but cleared her throat nonetheless. "As I was saying, welcome to Duel Academy, Champion of Japan. You will receive confirmation of your living quarters tomorrow."

"Thank you. You're too kind. By the way, is there a candy machine around here?"

"Yes. It's right over there by the entrance." Autumn walked over to Weevil and tugged gently on his collar. She didn't seem to care that he was staring at her cleavage. "Oh, and before I forget, I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again very soon."

Autumn left the arena while Weevil stood motionless. He didn't know what to say or think, nor did he notice that several duelists, including Rex had to drag him out of the arena while a trickle of blood came cascading from Weevil's nose.

"So, that's the power of the Japan Champion?" Bastion questioned. "Quite frankly, I'm not impressed. What do you think, Jaden? Jaden?!" Jaden's seat was empty.

"He's down there." Syrus pointed to Jaden, who was down on the floor with Weevil and Rex.

"That was a seriously tight duel, Weevil! We've gotta duel sometime!"

Weevil blinked, then sneered at Jaden after wiping off his nose. "Oh, we will. Now, get out of my way! I need Kleenex!" He shoved Jaden aside to get to the vending machine.

"Nice." Jaden stared at Weevil before heading back up. At that time, Dr. Crowler's voice sounded again over the PA.

"Ahem. The next candidate is…I can't even read this handwriting…Rax…No…Rex. Rex Raptor! Please enter the arena."

"ALL RIGHT!" Rex shouted with excitement as he rushed through the crowd. "Thanks for your patience, folks! I'm so gonna make this worth your wait!"

* * *

All right. Let me just clear things up. When writing this chapter, I realized too late that Des Dendle had another special ability. Apparently, when attached to Vampire Orchis, it can make a Wicked Plant token whenever Orchis destroys a monster. Oh well. Nothing I can do now.

Rex's opponent is Hugo, who keeps bragging about his "strategy." What is this strategy? Does it really work? And what's up with that hair, Hugo?? The next chapter is: **Rampage! Dino Duelist VS Trap Master**


	5. Rampage! Dino Duelist VS Trap Master

One of my reviewers, PeterKim, asked me exactly when this story is set. And to be honest, I never thought about that til now. All right. Just so you peoples know, this fic is set after the Society of Light saga. Kind of a "different" year three. And now that that's taken care of, ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 5 – Rampage! Dino Duelist VS Trap Master

"I should've expected him to be here as well," Bastion implied, raising an eyebrow.

"Who the heck is that?" Chazz asked rudely.

"Rex Raptor supposedly came in second place in the second Japan finals when he dueled with Weevil Underwood. Since he merely came in second place, he moderately received the same luxuries as Weevil himself, partially because he took him to those places. I heard they've been good friends since then."

"Figures. So what kind of deck does Rex use, Bastion?" Syrus asked.

"If my research is correct, which it usually is, Rex Raptor usually enjoys pulverizing his opponents with Dinosaur and Reptile-type monsters."

"Oh! So, he's kinda like Hassleberry." Syrus was referring to another Ra student, Tyranno Hassleberry, who, instead of coming to the entrance exams, was called to the hospital because his mother was very sick.

As Jaden got back to his seat, Rex stepped into the dueling arena looking around at the place. "Swanky. I hope Duel Academy looks this good, too."

"Good afternoon, duelist."

Rex turned to face his examiner. He cursed under his breath that he didn't get Autumn this time, but rather a tall man in a blue coat with slick black hair with a white streak, and a drawling voice to rival that of Dr. Crowler. The man pushed up a pair of thin glasses on his nose.

"You must be my examiner, right?"

"Yes I am. My name is Hugo. And according to these application forms, you must be…Rex Raptor?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"It's probably no big deal, but I'm afraid I won't let you into Duel Academy."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah you will. We're gonna duel and you're gonna lose. It's that simple."

"That's just it. I won't lose, because I have a foolproof strategy which, ironically, I use to wipe out fools like you."

"Well, I'll wipe you and your stinkin' strategy out with my Dino Deck!"

"Fine. Let's make this quick. I have a prior engagement to get to." Hugo put his duel disk on his arm.

"Oh, I'll make it quick all right!"

"DUEL!"

The two of them drew five cards as their Life Points were set to 4000 each. Hugo looked at his cards and narrowed his eyes. _Nice. I can put my plan into action right away._

"Since I'm feeling generous, I'll let you go first."

"My pleasure!" Rex drew his first card. "First off, I'm gonna summon my Element Saurus (1500/1200) in Attack mode!" Rex's monster was a huge raptor monster, with ridges lining its spine, shoulders, and legs. Element Saurus growled threateningly at Hugo, who merely shrugged.

"And to mix things up, I'll also summon Gilasaurus (1400/400) in attack mode too!" Rex summoned a smaller raptor monster with brownish-green scales, big teeth and claws. Hugo was stunned.

"You can't do that!"

"Oh yes I can! Thanks to Gilasaurus' special ability, I can treat this as a Special Summon. But because of that, you can also summon a monster from your graveyard…if you _had_ any monsters, ha ha ha! Oh, and I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"Very well, then." Hugo draws one card. "I'll set a monster face down in Defense Mode. And I'll set two cards face down. That'll do for now." _This duel is already over._

Weevil watches from the sidelines. Hugo's face reflected on his glasses. "He plans to annihilate Rex with his face down cards. But with Element Saurus' special ability, it won't work! What kind of examiner is this guy anyway?"

"Gimme a break!" Rex scoffed. "Your battle plan's written all over your face! Your face down monster has some special ability that only works when it's flipped face up, right?" Rex draws. "Well, guess what! You're wrong! I'll start by summoning Two-Headed King Rex (1600/1200) in Attack mode!" A giant black two-headed dinosaur with dragon-like wings emerged onto the field. "And while I'm at it, I might as well summon another Gilasaurus to the field too!" Another Gilasaurus emerges onto the field.

"Now, Element Saurus, crush his face down monster!" Element Saurus stomps forward, roaring as Hugo's face down monster is revealed. It looks like a small brown insect with lots of sharp, little teeth.

"Man-Eater Bug! Activate your ability now and take that Element Saurus with you!"

But it didn't work. Man-Eater Bug was chewed up right before his eyes.

"Surprised? It's my Element Saurus' special ability! As long as there's another Earth-attribute monster on the field, I can negate the effect of a monster my Element Saurus destroys! And I've got, count 'em, three Earth monsters on the field!"

"…"

"I don't understand how an examiner just lets his monster get crushed like that!" Bastion exclaimed.

"I guess this guy didn't place second for nothin'." Jaden answered.

"Oh, please," Chazz scoffed, "The guy's a hack. I could out-duel him with my Duel Disk tied behind my back."

It was around then, that a little yellow gremlin (Ojama Yellow) came out of nowhere and sat on Chazz's shoulder. "I couldn't agree more, boss! GO GET'M, HUGO! WOO WOO WOO WOO!!"

A vein pulsed in Chazz's forehead. "Oh, I so don't need this right now. GET LOST!" Chazz as he flailed wildly at Ojama Yellow to get it out of his face. He soon stopped, and his breathing was suddenly ragged and heavy. He also realized that practically everyone around him was staring at him. "WHAT?!"

Rex smiled maniacally. "All right! It's rampage time!" His dinos charged down all at once to smash Hugo. But he wasn't fazed. He merely pushed up his glasses.

"It's time I activated my trap card. Zero Gravity!"

Rex raised an eyebrow. "What's that do?"

"What it does is switch the battle positions of all monsters on the field. So basically, your dinosaur monsters have to switch to Defense mode. And my Life Points remain untouched."

Rex glared as his monsters retreated to their original positions. "Fine. I end my turn."

"Very well, then." He draws one card. _Time to put my plan to work._

* * *

Ooh! A plan! You don't see those every day. What is this plan? And does Rex have a way to get around it? The next chapter is called **Strategic Eye VS Brute Force** and it's not going to be a three-parter like the last one.

Remember, flamers will be hosed and spammers will be canned! Oh god, I've gotta write that one down!


	6. Strategic Eye VS Brute Force

**Chapter 6 – Strategic Eye VS Brute Force**

"I activate my face down card, Bad Reaction to Simochi! Now, anytime you try to increase your Life Points, you'll only be making them drop. Oh, and this trap is also continuous. A real gem."

"Big deal. I just won't have to increase my Life Points. Not that I need to anyway." Rex pointed to the Life Point indicator on his Duel Disk. "I still have 4000, brainiac!"

"Not for long. I activate the Spell, Rain of Mercy! Normally, this card would be used to increase both our Life Points by 1000. However, under the current circumstances…"

Rex growled as his Life Points dropped to 3000 while Hugo's Life Points rose to 5000. "Not so confident now, are we? Oh, and before I forget, I summon Pitch-Black Warwolf (1600/600) in attack mode!"

An armored wolf-like monster appeared on the field, brandishing a black sword. It howled as it prepared to attack.

"Also, I play my Forest Field Spell!"

The duelists watched as green grass started to sprout from the floor and a wall of giant trees surrounded them both.

"You should know this already, but my Forest increases the Attack Strength of all Beast, Beast-Warrior, Insect, and Plant monsters by 200 Attack points. Oh, did I mention? As long as my Warwolf is up on the field, you can't activate your trap cards during the battle phase! Oh well! Warwolf (1800), attack his King Rex!"

Rex watches with panicked eyes as Pitch-Black Warwolf decapitates both of King Rex's heads in one swing of his sword. Rex's monster shatters, reducing his Life Points to 2800.

"Rrrr…You lousy punk! That's my favorite monster!"

"I don't write the rules. That's how a duel works. Reduce your enemy's Life Points and make sure you mop up the edges as well. The way you've been dueling, getting to your Life Points was easy. But I admit that getting around your monsters wasn't easy. Especially since you have three left. But I assure you it won't be that way for long."

Rex was getting bored from Hugo's speech and yawned. "I'm sorry but this is getting boring. Are you done?"

Hugo scowled. "Yes. I end my turn now."

"About time." Rex draws. "I summon Kabazauls (1700/1500) in attack mode!"

Kabazauls is a giant dinosaur that looks similar to a crimson hippopotamus. It bellowed loudly.

"Not only that, but I also play my Raise Body Heat spell card! This little number lets me raise my Kabazauls' attack power by 300. And while I'm at it, I'll switch my other monsters to attack mode!"

Element Saurus and the two Gilasaurus all roared with Kabazauls as they prepared to attack.

"Kabazauls (2000), attack! Destroy Pitch-Black Warwolf!"

Kabazauls took a deep breath and let out a green smoke from its nostrils, making Warwolf's armor melt before shattering to pieces. Hugo flinched as his Life Points dropped to 4800.

"And that ain't all! I still have my other monsters! And with no more traps to play, you're lunch meat! Get'm boys!"

Rex's dinosaurs stomped forward to rip and tear at Hugo. Hugo groaned in agony as his Life Points plummeted to 500. Rex laughed as his monsters returned.

"This is way too easy! You may as well have just handed me your Life Points!"

"This duel is not done yet, boy."

"Whatever. I'll just end my turn and wait for the fireworks."

_Cocky brat. I refuse to let him win._ Hugo drew his card and glanced at it. "I play the spell, Upstart Goblin. Normally, this would increase _your_ Life Points by 1000, however…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rex grumbled as his Life Points dropped to 1800.

"There is a good side to this. _I_ get to draw a card, and what do you know? It's just the one I need! I activate the spell Monster Reborn and bring back my Pitch-Black Warwolf!"

Warwolf returns to the field and howls to the ceiling. Rex was not impressed.

"So what? I could pull a move like that in my sleep."

"Sleep on this! I sacrifice my Warwolf and summon Twin-Headed Fire Dragon (2200/1700) in Attack Mode!"

Twin-Headed Fire Dragon rose in a blast of flames. It was a large monster with, yes, two snapping heads, huge wings, and a long tail with grabbing claws.

"Now, Fire Dragon, attack the Gilasaurus on the left! Burning Twin Blast!"

Smoke began to emanate from the dragon's two mouths…

"Too bad nothing's gonna happen. I activate the trap card, Threatening Roar! Take it away, guys!"

Rex's dinosaurs roared loudly, echoing loudly through the entire building. The other students had to cover their ears and Twin-Headed Fire Dragon cowered like a whimpering dog.

"I didn't expect that card."

"Yeah. My Threatening Roar makes it so you can't declare an attack this turn!"

"I know that already. I'll just destroy you next turn. Now go ahead and move."

"My pleasure!" Rex drew his next card and leered at Hugo. _I'm afraid you won't have a next turn._

"I sacrifice my Gilasaurus twins!" Rex's Gilasauruses…es… disappeared. "Now, I'm gonna summon one of my strongest monsters! Serpent Night Dragon (2350/2400)!"

"YES!" Weevil sneered.

A black cloud materialized above Rex and Hugo's dueling area. From that cloud came a black serpentine dragon with evil red eyes. Hugo could only look on in horror.

In the stands, the students looked on in amazement.

"I've never seen a monster like that before!" Jaden said with excitement. "I've got to get me one of those!"

"That thing's scary!" shouted a crying Ojama Yellow. "Hold me, boss!"

"Don't touch me!" Chazz snapped.

"Bastion, what kind of monster is that?" Syrus asked.

"I've heard it's a rare monster card," Bastion answered. "One of several awarded to duelists who make it to the Japan finals. This was one of four cards, but I heard Rex lost that card in a duel. I wonder how he got it back."

Rex tried hard to contain his laughter. "I have so earned this! Serpent Night Dragon! Attack his Twin-Headed Fire Dragon! Nightmare Sonic Blast!"

_This can't be! My plan is falling apart! I can't do anything! All I have is my trap card, but it's useless without another Rain of Mercy card!_ Hugo could only look on as Serpent Night Dragon let loose a horrifying sound wave which promptly tore Twin Headed Fire Dragon to pieces. Hugo fell on his back as his Life Points dropped to 350.

"And I'm not done yet! Element Saurus! Stomp him!

Element Saurus stomped forward. The last thing Hugo saw was Element Saurus' foot trampling him, reducing his Life Points to zero.

"AW YEAH! I'm the man! I'm the _main_ man!"

Hugo got back to his feet and dusted off his coat. "Well done. Welcome to Duel Academy, Rex Raptor."

Rex sneered at him. "Appreciate the warm welcome, tough guy."

"You will receive confirmation of your living quarters tomorrow after…Rex?"

He had already stepped out of the dueling arena. He took off his hat because he was getting sweaty and went into the stands with Weevil, who was still wiping his nose. It was around then, that a young girl named Ichigo June passed her exams as well and also left the dueling arena, cheering ("Yay! I won, I won, I won! Look, Mom! Did you see that?"). Hugo pushed up his glasses and walked out of the arena as well.

"How rude. Can someone tell me how I lost to that idiot?"

"Well, I didn't see that coming," Jaden said, surprised beyond belief.

"I must say, with two so-called champions in our midst this is going to be an interesting year," Bastion said.

"I just noticed something," Jaden added, "That Weevil kid kinda looks like you, Sy."

"You think so?"

* * *

Ichigo June is one of my OCs, but we'll cover her later. In the next chapter, Weevil and Rex receive a package from their respective guardians (also OCs). Oh, and did I mention Seto Kaiba will be making a cameo? I didn't? Huh. Anyway, the next chapter is called **The Duo's Message and Mokuba's Request.**


	7. The Duo's Message and Mokuba's Request

Chapter 7 – The Duo's Message and Mokuba's Request

One day later. 1:00 p.m.

"Weevil, I know you're in there! Wake up!"

The door to Weevil's room opened and in walked a tall, skinny girl with narrow gray eyes and pale blue hair tied in a ponytail. She was carrying a box under her right arm, which seemed a bit heavy for her. Weevil's room was a complete pigsty. Books and clothes were strewn everywhere. On his shelves were different sized jars with various insects in them, most of which were fireflies, and half of which were dead. Weevil was in a corner of his room, sleeping in a hammock. He was wearing a white button-down shirt that was two sizes too big for him as well as dragonfly-print boxers. His duel disk was under his hammock, along with a dozen cards he had considered shuffling into his deck and his glasses were in a case that seemed to be custom made. He was then awoken by a swift blow to the head.

"ARGH! Nina!! What the…?!"

"You seriously need to clean up this room, you little worm. It took me like two minutes just to get over to your hammock."

Weevil glared at Nina. "Listen. You may be my older sister, but that doesn't give you the right to boss me around!"

"Nor does your title as _former_ Duelist Champion of Japan. Oh, and by the way, a package arrived for you."

She handed the box over to Weevil. After fishing around for his glasses and putting them on, he saw the Duel Academy crest on top of the box next to the address. Weevil looked at the package skeptically.

"All this just for my living quarters?"

He opened the box carefully dug through the foam packing. Inside was a red blazer, a PDA with the Academy logo, and a Duel Disk, which seemed to have more curves than his normal one.

"A new Duel Disk and a PDA? What is all this?"

Nina pointed to the mail icon on the PDA. "I think the PDA has a message on it."

Weevil picked it up and pressed a button on the PDA. A message started to play…

Elsewhere, around the same time, Rex was already awake. He was in his kitchen frying up some Takoyaki (octopus dumpling). He waited patiently for his egg timer to ring when…

"REX!"

Ding! A female voice called for Rex just when the timer went off. He shouted back as he lifted the pan from the fryer. "Mom, is this important?!"

"You have a package from Duel Academy!"

_Just like her to keep me from my lunch_, Rex thought angrily, _but this __is__ important_. He set the pan on the counter and headed to the front door, where a middle-aged woman with long brown hair with _lots_ of pink streaks (runs in the family?) waited for him with a large box. There was also a chubby calico cat rubbing against her legs. Rex took the box from her hands and shook it a bit.

"Sounds expensive."

"Well? Open it."

Rex ripped the lid off the box and dug through the foam packing. Inside the box was a Duel Disk with lots of curves, a red blazer, and a PDA. In an instant, Rex got his new Duel Disk out of the box and practically hugged it.

"I get a new disk just for passing the exams?!"

"I'm pretty sure _all_ the students in Duel Academy are issued one of these new Disks."

At that point, Rex seemed a bit downcast, but smiled again. "Oh well! At least I can make it look good when I duel!"

"What's the PDA for?"

"Uh…I dunno. But it looks like I got a message."

Rex took the PDA out of the box and pressed a button. On the screen, a bearded old man with a shiny bald head delivered his message.

"Testing…is this thing on? Ahem. Good afternoon, Duelist. If you're hearing this message, that means you've entered Duel Academy. Congratulations! My name is Sheppard and I am the Chancellor of Duel Academy. We hope you enjoy your stay as well as the program here at Academy Island. Along with this PDA is a limited edition Academy Duel Disk which was personally designed by our founder himself. You won't find this anywhere else, so don't bother looking. You will find information about your living quarters, as well as class schedules and emails from other students, on your PDA, so remember to keep it with you at all times. Oh, and if you're wondering how to get there, we will transport you directly from Kaiba Corp via transport plane. You have exactly one week to get your things ready. Once again, congratulations on your entrance to Duel Academy!"

Rex was unaware that the cat had snuck into the kitchen and was eating his food.

About four hours ago…

"Seto!"

Mokuba ran as fast as he could to find his older brother, Seto Kaiba, who was not only the President of Kaiba Corp, but also (can the mystery already) the founder of Duel Academy. Mokuba eventually found him in an R&D room.

"Mokuba, why are you in such a big hurry?"

"Seto, did you see me? I…"

"Passed the exam? Well, of course you did. I helped you build your deck after all."

"I also heard that I'm going to be set up in Obelisk Blue, right?"

Kaiba stared at his brother with those piercing blue eyes. "Unless you're going somewhere with this, I have some important work to do."

"I know you arranged me to be an Obelisk personally, so I want you to set me up in Ra Yellow instead."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Why on Earth…?"

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate the support, but I don't want any special treatment just because I'm your brother. I can become a super great duelist on my own terms, just like you and Yugi, bro!"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at his brother at the sound of that name. Mokuba glared back with equal determination, which made Kaiba smirk.

"Well, it's true. I do tend to spoil you a bit." He turned to one of his employees. "Roland!"

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Have my brother fitted for a Ra Yellow blazer."

"Yes sir!"

Mokuba smiled at his brother. "Thanks, Seto!"

"Don't mention it. Really. Oh, and before I forget…" Kaiba threw Mokuba a PDA with the Duel Academy Logo. "You're going to need this."

* * *

YEAH! SETO KAIBA'S AWESOME! ...Oh. Right. Ahem. In case you're wondering about their respective guardians, Nina is obviously Weevil's older sister by about three or four years. Before the duel monsters tournament Weevil won, they lost their parents in a car accident. Nina's been looking after him ever since, even though she feels she'd be better off without him. And the feeling's mutual. But family's gotta stick together, right? As for Rex, he's the only child in the family. That's because he has little knowledge of his father, because he left his mother before he was born. But Terra Raptor (that's his mom's name) is a tough old lady. She can handle her son and herself, despite their differences.

Anyway, in the next chapter, our "heroes" say goodbye to their respective guardians and get a feel for the school's color-code system...with some help from an old friend. When they asked me for a title, I simply said **Goodbye for Now...** It's really touching.


	8. Goodbye for Now

Chapter 8 – Goodbye for Now…

The night before they left for Duel Academy, the boys spent the night packing as much as they could. They had…a little difficulty.

Rex crawled all around his room, looking for his favorite hat, forgetting again and again that it was on his head the whole time. He also spent time in front of a large dressing mirror, admiring how he looked in his red jacket.

Weevil spent all night trying to stuff as many of his prank items as he can in his duffel bag, deciding to wear his new duel disc on the way there. Everything from his can of Arachno-String to his fake Soul Prison cards, which he wasted at least an hour painting. "Okay. Maybe I'll leave my bug catching net here."

The morning seemed to come all too quickly for both of them, as they didn't get much sleep (like a few hours each). As soon as they were completely awake, they found out they were in front of the Kaiba Corp building. It seems Mrs. Raptor and Weevil's sister drove them there while they were asleep. How they got dressed properly was a shock even to them. Even though the two boys had said their goodbyes, it seems their guardians haven't finished yet.

"Now, Rex, I want you to be on your best behavior, brush your teeth every night, and remember to change your…"

"All right, all right, all right!" Rex feverishly goaded his mother to stop embarrassing him. "I'm not a kid anymore, so quit your worrying!"

The two folded their arms and turned away from each other. However, Rex's eyes started to water. His lip trembled. And he quickly hugged his mother who, at the same time, hugged him back. Both of them were crying (in a similar manner of Gai and Lee).

"MOM!"

"REX!"

(Insert sunset backdrop here)

Weevil and Nina stared at them dumbfounded before wrenching Rex and Mrs. Raptor, respectively, away from each other.

"We have to get on the plane!" Weevil said, frustrated.

"We'll see them again on Christmas break, Mrs. Raptor!" Nina shouted.

They eventually stopped struggling. Rex folded his arms again. "Yeah. You're right. And when we come back, you're gonna find us a lot stronger than we used to be!"

"Strong enough to beat…Yugi-kun?" Nina said with a slight blush.

Weevil narrowed his eyes at her and pushed up his glasses. "I really wish you'd stop calling him that. He's not even good-looking."

Nina sneered at her little brother. "You just don't understand how women think."

Weevil looked at her for a second, then blushed as he imagined Autumn the examiner giggling and blowing him a kiss. _Darn right, I don't._

"Hey, that Kaiba brat's here too!" Rex pointed out as he saw Mokuba in his shiny yellow jacket, talking with another duelist, Ichigo June. As it turns out, Ichigo had bright pink hair with several white berets in it, but wore a yellow girls' uniform instead.

"How come they get yellow jackets?" Weevil asked.

"Dunno," Rex answered, scratching his head. "I guess there's some kinda color code thing at school. Check those guys out."

Rex and Weevil looked over at three guys and a girl wearing blue jackets and a blue skirt, respectively.

"Those guys look pretty mean. Are they students too?" Rex asked.

"Dude, you guys really _are_ newbies, huh?"

Weevil and Rex jumped in surprise as a kid with messed up gray hair and lazy black eyes appeared behind them, seemingly out of nowhere. He was wearing his blue jacket over his shoulders.

"Let me tell ya. Us guys in blue, we're Obelisks, bro. The crème-de-la-stuff, y'know?"

Weevil raised an eyebrow. "Obelisks, huh?"

"Yeah. It's all part of a student ranking system at Duel Academy and it also determines what dorm you stay at. Let me break it down for you. The Obelisk Blue students are high rankers. Half by skills 'n' grades, half by connections, y'know? The dudes in yellow are Ra students. Middle classers who get by on hard work. Not bad, but not too flashy either. And you guys in red are Slifer students. Supposedly the lamest of lame, bottom of the barrel, you get the idea. Huh?"

Upon hearing these words, Weevil and Rex shared a moment of exaggerated gloominess by curling up into balls at the Obelisk kid's feet. "Uh…"

"Lamest of lame? Bottom of the barrel?"

"How the heck did this happen to us, Weevil?"

"But hey, who am I to criticize, y'know?" The kid said cheerfully, "There are _some _exceptions. I mean, I was actually beaten by a Slifer myself. Me! An Obelisk! Crazy, huh?" He laughed happily, leaving Weevil and Rex staring blankly at him. "Oh, and I gotta tell you something else. Slifers like you guys ain't exactly an Obelisk's best friend. Especially with the Obelisk headmaster, Dr. Crowler. He may dress like a clown, but he not only means business, but he also hates Slifer Red students, so I suggest you watch your step and take it easy, got it? Well, I gotta get on the plane. See you dudes later. Oh, I almost forgot, the name's Belowski! Mokeo Belowski!"

Rex and Weevil stared at Belowski, dumbfounded, as he walked away, but Weevil quickly shifted to that all too familiar wicked smile.

"Hey, Rex. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If the so-called 'honor students' at school are as dimwitted as that one, then making our way to the top's gonna be a piece of cake!"

"Shouldn't you two be getting on the airplane by now?" Nina suddenly chimed in, startling the boys once again.

"We're getting to it, already!" Weevil shouted at his sister as they ran over to the plane. The propellers had already started to spin as Weevil and Rex were the last to get on and the doors closed. Weevil and Rex looked out the windows as their respective guardians waved to them one last time, before the transport plane left the ground completely and headed out to sea.

* * *

Yeah, Weevil's sister has a big crush on Yugi, even though I can't imagine why. And on another note: BELOWSKI'S AWESOME! YAY!! But you're probably wondering while Weevil and Rex haven't zonked out. Well, due to unexplainable circumstances, Belowski's powers of exhaustion have started to dwindle a bit. So now he can go to classes like a normal student, but that won't stop him from falling asleep in class. However, he still chooses to stay in his little private underground room. Also, for those of you who've read my story on Gaia, I know Ichigo originally had red hair, but I decided to change it up since two of my OCs already have red hair. Anyway, the next chapter mostly consists of the plane ride to Duel Academy, a speech, and a banquet. I call it **The New Students Arrive! Duel Academy!**

Did I mention there's also a new teacher?


	9. The New Students Arrive! Duel Academy!

Chapter 9 – The New Students Arrive! Duel Academy!

About half an hour into the flight, the plane passed through some unexpected rain. It was around that time when most of the students were bored. However, they came prepared. Belowski, who was sitting in the back, merely looked at the rain smearing against his window, bobbing his head the whole time. Mokuba pulled out a small notepad and started scribbling on it. His drawings of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon have gotten a lot better since he was young. Ichigo was listening to Ali Project on a CD player and headphones. Weevil was busy arranging and rearranging cards into his shiny, new Duel Disk and Rex was asking the pilot for a second bag of salted peanuts. He returned to his seat, however, empty-handed. About another hour later, the rain stopped and the pilot's voice sounded on the PA. However, Weevil and Rex were asleep and couldn't quite hear the announcement.

"Attention students…uh…if you'll look out your respective windows you will see we are closing in on your home away from home…uh…We hope you'll enjoy your stay and learn well at Duel Academy…uh…Please fasten your seatbelts as we will be arriving in five minutes."

Rex woke up groggily and yawned. It was then that he just remembered the announcement and shook Weevil by the shoulders.

"Weevil! Wake up, man! We're gonna be at the Academy in five minutes!"

Weevil's head rolled to the side as he muttered, "Please…"

Rex raised an eyebrow as Weevil's hand grabbed him by the collar. "Uh…Weevil? What are you…?"

"Just this once…please…Autumn…" Weevil was still asleep as his face moved toward Rex's, inch after inch until…

"GET A GRIP, YOU FREAK!" Rex punched Weevil in the face, forcing him out of his perverted reverie, bending his glasses, and making him fall out of his seat. Rex wiped his brow in relief. _Oh my god, that was a close one. I didn't need people thinking we were…like __that_

Almost everyone stared as Weevil blinked before he struggled to get back up, straightening his glasses. "Rex…how did I get down on the floor?"

"Uh…" Rex felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead. "I…uh…I don't know. I think we hit some turbulence or something."

"Well, it feels like that turbulence hit me!" Weevil said as he rubbed a lump on his cheek where Rex socked him. He looked out the window and saw an island with a huge building in the center, as well as other buildings dotting on the island. "Hey, is that the island? It's huge!"

"Oh yeah. The pilot said we're gonna be there in about five minutes."

"Ohhhohoho…this is going to be good!"

In about five minutes (supposedly, around 6:30 pm), the plane landed smoothly on the landing pad at the docks, about a mile away from the enormous central building which was, in fact, the finest dueling high school in the world. Weevil was right. It was, indeed, huge.

"This is you captain speaking…uh…I have now turned off the 'Fasten Seat Belt' sign…uh…All students please report to the main building for a speech from Chancellor Sheppard…uh…Your luggage will be taken to your respective dorms separately…uh…Once again, have a nice day."

After what felt like a mile-long trek, the students made their way to the Academy Main Hall, which was decorated with lots of pink streamers (supposedly by Dr. Crowler) and multicolored banners, in honor of the arrival of the new students. Behind a podium in front of the students was a huge flat-screen monitor. Most of the students were talking right now. Weevil was still fiddling with his PDA. And Rex was admiring his new Duel Disk. Belowski, however, was sleeping like a baby in a corner of the room. It was after a few minutes that an old bearded man with a shiny head made his way up to the podium. Upon seeing his face on the huge monitor, Weevil and Rex realized that this was the same old man who gave the message on the PDA.

"Good evening students! As you know, my name is Chancellor Sheppard and I would like to welcome you once again to Duel Academy. Here, we encourage our students to work hard and be the best they can be. And if, by chance, that doesn't work out, we'll send you home right away! Ha ha! I'm just kidding! Anyway, before your school semester officially begins, you will be granted an entire week of free time to get a feel of the geographical layout of this island and its facilities, including holographic dueling arenas for each respective campus. Also, as you may or may not know by now, your living arrangements have been prearranged into your PDAs so you can follow that in case you get lost. Once again, we hope you have a wonderful time here at Duel Academy Island. Any questions?"

Sheppard looked around the main hall to see no hands raised. "Very well, then. A banquet will be at your honor at your respective dorms at 7:00. We expect to see you there, unless, of course, you're not hungry."

Sheppard bowed and the huge monitor turned off. All the students applauded him as he left the podium. A few minutes later the students were running around campus, most of them already getting acquainted with the older students there. Weevil and Rex decided to check out their dorms first. It didn't take them long to find it. Even though it was the closest to the sea, the boys were none too impressed. The building was only two stories high, and nowhere near as big as the main school building itself.

"This is the Slifer Red dorm?" Weevil felt a sweat drop on the back of his head as they walked toward the building.

Rex narrowed his eyes at the place. "Well, at least the view is nice, I guess."

"Whatever. If this is all they can manage, then getting promoted to Obelisk will be easier than I thought. No question about it!"

Weevil opened one of the doors on the lower floors and the two were greeted with various shrieks as well as being bashed by several pillows. They closed the door quickly and looked at each other with feathers in their hair.

"This is the girls' dorm?!" They said together.

"Way to scare the girls!"

Rex and Weevil jumped again as Jaden Yuki nearly scared them to death.

"Hey," Weevil said, "You're that guy at the entrance exams..."

"So you remember me! That makes me feel all minty fresh inside. By the way, my name's Jaden Yuki. Pleasure."

"Rex Raptor. Same here," Rex responded.

"Whatever." Weevil shrugged. "So where's the boys' dorm?"

"It's right here!" Jaden smiled cheerfully.

"HUH?!" Weevil and Rex stared at him.

"Or I should say, up _there_. Both dorms are in one building. Girls on the first floor and boys on the second."

The boys looked at each other for a second then followed Jaden upstairs to the boys' dorms. They entered one of the empty rooms. There was no wallpaper, only one window, and bunk beds on both sides of the room.

"Man...this sucks," Rex said.

"Well, you're right about one thing. We do get a good view of the ocean," Weevil said.

"Yeah. Shotgun the top bunk!" Rex shouted as he made his way up the beds on the right.

"What? NO!" Weevil tried to pull Rex off the top bunk, but he wasn't going anywhere.

At 7:00pm, the banquets were underway. At the extravagant Obelisk Blue dorms, which were just washed clean of layer after layer of white paint, there was a party which, mostly due to the room, was similar to a fancy ball. Even the flamboyant Dr. Crowler himself was there to observe the events, looking down with pride at his Obelisk Blue students. The Ra Yellow dorms had somewhat less fancy dress, but nevertheless, the food was exquisite. Professor Satyr looked down the table at Mokuba, who was scarfing down beef filets like no tomorrow. Of course, none of this can be said for the Slifer Red dorms.

"I can't believe all we get to eat is microwave food," Rex said as the boys looked down at their meals, which were barely meals at all.

"You think that's embarrassing?" Weevil shouted, "Check out our headmaster! It looks like your cat!" Indeed, sitting on a chair in front of the meeting room was a big brown cat, even fatter and (judging by the big yawn it let out) lazier than Rex's.

Jaden laughed at this comment. "He's not our headmaster, he's Pharaoh! Kinda the...uh…Slifer Red mascot."

_Mascot indeed_, a voice in Pharaoh's mind spoke.

"And what's with him?" Rex pointed to Chazz, who sat in a corner, not even bothering to eat, and still refusing to wear red. "Wait, I bet _he's_ the headmaster, right?"

"Pfft," Chazz scoffed. "Like I'd wanna be headmaster of the world's largest roach motel."

"Roach motel?!" Weevil and Rex said in unison. That was when the door opened.

"I'm glad you all could make it."

Everyone turned in awe to the new Slifer Red headmaster. Not so much as Weevil and Rex, whose eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"NO WAY!"

"IT'S YOU?!"

* * *

Ooh, cliffhangers! How I love them so! You guys are just dying to know who this headmaster is, aren't you? Actually, you've already seen this person already, and for those of you who already know who it is, if you tell anyone, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN LIKE THE DOGS YOU ARE AND MAKE YOU PAY! clears throat Ahem. Yes. Anyway, the new students go through their introductions (i.e. just Weevil and Rex because I'm lazy). Ooh! And Weevil gets a weird new card! Huzzahs are in order!

crickets chirp

Stinkin' bugs. The next chapter is named **New Headmaster, New Adventures!**


	10. New Headmaster, New Adventures!

Time to unveil the new teacher! You're excited, aren't you? Oh, and too my reviewer, Peter Kim, don't you think you're putting too much thought into this?

Chapter 10 – New Headmaster, New Adventures

"I see you remember me. That makes me very glad…cutie."

Weevil's jaw dropped as Sharon Autumn made her way into the room. She was now wearing the red jacket she normally keeps around her waist, instead of the standard girls' uniform. Most of the Slifer Red boys' eyes turned into rubbery hearts. The only ones who acted indifferent to her presence were (no surprise) Chazz Princeton, although, if one looked closely, you could barely see him blushing, and Jaden Yuki, who didn't seem to know what was going on. Autumn picked up Pharaoh, sat down on a chair ahead of all the tables, and crossed her legs.

"For those of you who haven't seen me at the entrance exams, my name is Sharon Autumn, and I will be the new headmaster, or headmistress I should say, of the Slifer Red dorms. In which case, I'd like you to call me Professor."

It was at that point when everyone, except Chazz, fainted at once. She merely smiled as she scratched Pharaoh behind the ears.

_Oh yes, right there, _a voice in Pharaoh's mind spoke. _That feels wonderful…_

"I know you're surprised, but since Slifer Red was the only co-ed dorm on campus, not even our founder seemed to mind, especially since we were short on staff at the time (due to the previous headmaster turning to dust). Also, I will be staying downstairs with the girls, but that does not mean you can barge in anytime you want. Bear in mind that visiting a dorm of the opposite gender is restricted. Anyone who must, must have my consent first, which reminds me, I need to wrap this up quickly so I can head down and meet the girls. Now, all new students, please tell us your names and a little something about yourselves…starting with you, with the big glasses." She pointed to Weevil, who had already finished half of his meal. He swallowed and stood up, still blushing after seeing Professor Autumn again so soon.

"My…uh…" He stopped to clear his throat. "My name is Weevil Underwood. And I used to be the Duelist Champion of Japan." Everyone clapped for him, except Chazz, of course. "But…all that came to a very, _very_ abrupt end at Duelist Kingdom when I was humiliated by…by…"

"It's all right, Weevil," Professor Autumn said. "Just take your time. I won't force you to go on."

Suddenly, his voice became more manic, like the Weevil we very well know. "…by Yugi Mutou!!! Ever since then, our popularity as duelists, Rex and mine, started to drop inch by inch as we failed duel after duel. That was when we set our sights on Duel Academy. If we can become strong duelists here, we can become strong enough to beat the Egyptian Gods!!"

Weevil broke into his classic evil laugh, which embarrassed Rex beyond belief and made everyone stare at them. It was at that moment, that he stopped laughing.

"Uh…yeah. Also, my hobbies include bug collecting and my favorite food is dried bee larva."

It was then and there that half of the Slifers, this time including Chazz, nearly retched with disgust, while others laughed.

"Oh, don't do that! It's good! It tastes like chicken!"

Autumn, who was kind enough not to laugh _or_ retch, merely pushed up her glasses. "Yes. Well, thank you, Weevil. Next we have…oh, you'd like to go next?"

Rex actually had his hand raised and stood up while Weevil sat down again.

"My name is Rex Raptor. And I actually got second place when Weevil beat me in a tournament. Since then, we lived the life of luxury, we got to preview movie trailers, lots of parties, blah blah blah. But like Weevil said, this came to an end when we met up with Yugi Muto and that pathetic excuse for a monkey, Joey Wheeler!"

_Monkey?_ Jaden thought as his mind instantly flashed back to a real dueling monkey named Wheeler. He laughed to himself quietly. _I wonder if our founder knows about this!_ (If only he knew.)

"Anyway, like Weevil said, we're gonna rise to the top and make Underwood and Raptor household names once again. So there." He sat down, but quickly got up again. "My hobbies include card collecting, long walks on the beach, and my favorite food is any kind of octopus."

Everyone clapped for Rex Raptor as he sat back down, just as they did with Weevil (sort of). This continued for about ten minutes until the newbies got their introductions out of the way. Eventually, Professor Autumn stood up again.

"Thank you. I'm glad I got to know you all. Now, before I head downstairs, Weevil, I'd like to talk to you outside for a second."

Weevil's eyes widened again as he got to his feet and followed her out the door to the observation deck. She had a card in her hand.

"I meant what I said before at the entrance exam. You do have the potential to become a champion again, but I feel your heart's not strong enough."

"Yeah? What of it?"

"I have a card in my hand that I feel will be of better use to you than me. I want you to take special care of it, okay?"

She handed the card to Weevil, who didn't even take his eyes off her for a second. She put her hand on her head and messed up his hair before heading downstairs.

"I hope to see you in class…cutie."

He continued to stare at her, even after she left, before looking down at the card she gave him. It was a monster card: a female humanoid with green skin, long blonde hair, a pink flower petal dress, and thorned vines where her arms should be. It was around that point, that Weevil heard a faint giggle. He snapped out of his reverie and looked for the source of the sound, but as far as he could see, there was no one else there...unless that was Professor Autumn giggling. It sounded a lot like her voice, at least.

"Hey, Weevil!" Rex called from inside the dorm. "Get in here before I eat your seconds!"

"Coming!" Weevil ran back inside and closed the door behind him. As much as they didn't even like school, the boys couldn't wait for this particular term to get under way. After all, in a place like this, it's bound to be fun...right?

* * *

Didn't see _that_ coming, did you? Lemme clue you in a bit about Miss Autumn. Not much is known about her past, but her deck is a plant/fairy deck based on a book she read when she was a little girl. And though she doesn't think much of it, she's extremely sexy and often flaunts her body to mess with the hormones of male students and teachers alike. She often wears a white blouse with as much cleavage showing as possible, a tight miniskirt which is not too high nor too low, black leather go-go boots, and a Slifer Red jacket around her waist, which she only wears on her back for special occassions.

In the next chapter, Weevil and Rex take a "tour" of the Obelisk Blue dorms, but immediately find out they're not welcome. Big surprise. And who's that creepy girl with the book and the black eye makeup? Chapter 11 is called **A Trek Through Forbidden Territory** and it's a doozy.

Oh, and by the way, that voice in Pharaoh's mind was none other than Professor Banner. Yep, he's still stuck in there.


	11. A Trek Through Forbidden Territory

Come on, guys. Get your heads in the game. And to Crazy Little Devil, I can honestly say that I'm trying to use OFFICIAL Upper Deck approved cards as much as possible. The instant I decide to use fake cards, you will be first to know.

**Chapter 11 – A Trek Through Forbidden Territory**

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!"

Weevil and Rex stared at the Obelisk Blue Dorms with both their jaws hanging down. The whole place would've been mistaken for an old European Castle, had it not been on an island in the middle of nowhere.

"This is the Obelisk Blue dorm?!" Weevil asked in shock. "And all we get is an outhouse with windows?!"

"This place rocks!" Rex responded enthusiastically. "I'm gonna love it here!"

"You really think you can make it up to here with skills like yours?"

Weevil and Rex turned around to face two tall Obelisk students. The one on the left was big and muscular (though nowhere near as big as Beauregard) with really short black hair and narrow black eyes. The other Obelisk was skinny and gangly. He had well-tamed white hair and mirrored sunglasses. Unlike his big friend, who wore all blue, this guy wore a white jacket with blue trim.

"Who do you think you are," the big guy yelled, "mucking up our campus, you Slifer slime?!"

Weevil was ticked in an instant. "What the heck's your problem, you big oaf?! Do you know who you're talking to?!"

"We're champions!" Rex shouted with him. "Real ones!"

The big guy raised an eyebrow. "That and a buck fifty will get ya an ice cream cone! You see, we're the best tag duelists in Obelisk Blue and even if you're champions, you still have no right to set foot on our turf, right Wesley?!" He turned to the skinny white-haired guy, who seemed to be staring into space. On his sunglasses, the reflection of a seagull flying could be seen.

"Wesley? Earth to Wesley!"

Wesley looked back at the big guy. "I'm sorry, Dalton. Did you say something?"

Dalton's jaw crashed through the ground. "Gimme a break, Wesley! We're on trash duty here!"

"Trash? I don't see any trash."

"What?!" By the time Dalton realized it, they were gone. One more turn around revealed they had already snuck into the Obelisk Blue dorms and the door had just closed.

"We can't have that trash in our dorms! Come on!" Dalton ran back to the dorms as quick as he could, while Wesley just sighed and walked back at a slow pace.

------------

"Whoa! Get a load of this!"

Weevil and Rex found their way to the main lobby of the Obelisk boys' dorm, which resembled nothing less than an elegant ballroom. Keeping the place lit was a huge chandelier on the ceiling.

"This place reminds me of one of mom's trashy romance movies," Rex said.

"TP-ing a place like this will be so cool!" Weevil nearly squealed.

"Excuse me," a soft, yet eerie voice called from an armchair, "some of us are trying to read."

Weevil and Rex didn't even bother to apologize and continued to walk through the dorm, right past the armchair where a creepy Obelisk girl put down her book.

"You're Slifers, aren't you?"

Weevil and Rex stopped to look at the Obelisk girl who got to her feet. Her uniform pressed tightly against her pale skin. She had untidy reddish-brown hair tied in long pigtails and black makeup which completely circled her pale blue eyes. She stood about an inch shorter than Weevil.

"I'd like to welcome you to our dorm, but I'm afraid you're trespassing on exclusive property. Leave this place at once or I will have to hurt you."

It was at that point, that Weevil and Rex looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Who's going to hurt us?!" Weevil said amongst his laughter.

"She's shorter than _you_, Weevil!" Rex shouted, wiping a tear from his eye.

The girl's hand twitched.

"Where are those runts?!"

Dalton burst into the room, breathing heavily, almost grunting like a pig. It was then he noticed the Obelisk girl and smoothed his hair out.

"Oh. Glad you could make it, Sara!"

"I was already here, Dalton," The girl responded. "You're the one who made it."

Dalton grimaced at Sara's comment. _I just hate the way this chick talks._

"What happened to the other guy?" Rex asked.

Dalton was surprised at the question. He looked around and started growling with frustration. "WESLEY!!"

"I told you not to make me rush." Wesley was still somewhat far behind Dalton.

"I still don't see what the big deal is." Weevil said, "We're all students here. We're allowed to visit other dorms if we want to!"

"Not this one," Sara said coldly. "We're Obelisk Blue students. And we do not take kindly to Slifers. Especially ignorant ones like you two. However, if you want to come here so badly, you'll have to beat me in a duel first."

"Good deal, Sara," Dalton said. "Bury them with your Desert Deck!"

"Desert Deck?" Weevil said skeptically, but he was suddenly interrupted by a crass feminine voice.

"I don't think that will be necessary!"

Dr. Vellian Crowler made his presence made as he marched over to the students. Weevil and Rex were shocked by his appearance. Crowler's blue coat was decorated with pink frills and his bleach blonde hair had a long ponytail. Had he not been as ugly as sin, he would've been mistaken for a woman. Dalton, however, looked rather smug.

"You're in for it now." Dalton said.

"Now then," Dr. Crowler said as he cleared his throat, "as much as I 'enjoy' the pleasure of having slackers, I mean, Slifers in my dorm, I'm afraid I can't allow you to stay."

"What are you talking about, you cross-dressing freak?!" Rex snapped.

"You watch your mouth!" Dr. Crowler snapped back. "You are to leave this dorm immediately, or I will be forced to take drastic measures!"

Weevil's eye twitched as he turned around to leave. "Fine. We're leaving! But I guarantee you haven't heard the last of us!"

Rex followed him out. "He's right! We have classes together!"

Dr. Crowler and his students watched as the boys left the dorm and slammed the doors behind them, just as Wesley caught up with the others.

"The nerve of those Slifer brats." Dr. Crowler said with a huff.

"You said it," Dalton said, turning to head upstairs. "Come on, Wesley. Let's practice our draws."

Wesley stared at the doors for another minute, before following Dalton upstairs. Sara merely sat back down in the armchair and continued with her book. However, after the encounter, she found it difficult and put down her book.

------------

Weevil and Rex grumbled as they made their way back to the Slifer Red Dorms. They opened the door and were greeted by an entourage of shouts and confetti. The two were completely dumbfounded.

"What's all this for?" Rex asked.

"We heard everything!" one of the Slifer boys responded. "No Slifer's ever snuck into the Blue dorms since Jaden Yuki!"

"Yeah, well, I was only a somewhat innocent freshman back then." Jaden said modestly. "Besides, I'm not the only one. Syrus actually tried to sneak into the girls' dorm after just a few days!"

It was at that point the boys fell backwards and laughed their butts off. It was also at that point that Weevil's PDA started beeping. He pulled it out of his pocket and tapped the mail icon. Sara's face revealed itself on the PDA, freaking out Weevil for a second.

"Listen to me, you little worm. I don't know what it is, but something about you annoys me. I can't let you get away with sneaking into our dorms. Tomorrow is the last day before classes begin. Come to the Obelisk Dueling Arena at 4:00 pm. If you can beat me in a duel, I will allow you free passage. Lose, and the two of you will never set foot here again."

_She's even scarier than my sister!_ Weevil thought with horror.

* * *

No, you're not seeing wrong. One of my newest OCs is actually based on freaking **Gaara**. At first, I wanted this newbie to be a boy, but I thought it would make things more interesting if she were a girl. Turns out I was right! But we'll get to that later. Anyway, this girl, Sara Sanderling, her parents passed away before her 13th birthday and as such, she had no one but herself to love her. She graduated from Duel Academy's prep school with high marks and uses various Desert-based cards to prevent direct attacks on her Life Points. 

My next chapter is rather long. It's actually two chapters in one. It's the duel between Weevil and Sara and, once again, it's very long. So you might want to get some snacks. I call this one: **Duel on the Barren Sands! Weevil VS Sara**. Did I mention it's really long?


	12. Duel on the Barren Sands! Weevil VS Sara

Once again, to Peter Kim, you're really putting way too much thought into this.

Chapter 12 – Duel on the Barren Sands! Weevil VS Sara

3:30 pm. Slifer Red dorms.

"Why are you even bothering to duel this girl?" Rex said as Weevil added a card to his deck.

"To prove a point," Weevil answered. "We deserve as much right to walk through those dorms as anyone else!"

"You said it, Weevil!" Jaden exclaimed. "Make us Slifers proud!"

Weevil felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck from all the pressure from the Slifer students' cheering.

_I only planned on dueling just to get me and Rex into the dorms,_ Weevil thought, _but if these wannabes want to join us, then what should I care?_ "All right," Weevil said as he got to his feet. "Whoever wants to can come and watch!"

Surprisingly, and to Weevil's dismay, only three Slifer students decided to follow Weevil: Rex, Jaden, and Chazz. However, that wasn't the end of it, as they had also passed a trio of Ra students: Bastion Misawa, Syrus Truesdale, and Mokuba Kaiba.

"So like I said," Syrus said, "that's how we defeated the Shadow Riders!"

"That's great and all," Mokuba said, "but I think you're giving this Jaden kid a little too much credit."

"Well, he did defeat Kagemaru, the leader of the Shadow Riders single-handedly," Bastion responded, "so I believe he's earned it. Speaking of which, isn't that Jaden over there?"

"You're right, Bastion!" Syrus exclaimed.

"And that's Weevil and Rex!" Mokuba said, scratching his head, "I still can't believe they actually made it. But where are they headed?"

"Looks like they're on the path to Obelisk dueling arena," Bastion said. "I say we follow them." Bastion ran after the Slifer students.

"Yeah!" Syrus said, getting pumped up. "Maybe there's some huge dueling action over there!" Syrus ran after Bastion as well.

"Don't leave me behind, guys!" Mokuba chased them down.

Obelisk Duel Arena. One of the finest dueling facilities on Academy Island. And on the inside were three of the finest students on Academy Island. Sara was already sitting on the edge of the dueling field, listening to old piano music on her headphones. Dalton and Wesley were sitting in the stands.

"Do you think she can win?" Wesley asked, boredly. "She's still a freshman after all."

"It doesn't matter if she's a freshman," Dalton said with confidence. "I've checked out her deck. There's no way that little punk's gonna win."

Not long after, Weevil, Rex, and their respective audience had arrived with the Ra students in tow. Sara pressed stop on her tape player and stood up.

"Weevil…Rex…" Her eyes glanced over to the Ras. "I didn't know those Ra students would be here as well."

The Slifers looked confused as they turned around as saw Bastion, Syrus, and Mokuba all smiling sheepishly.

"Oh. Hey guys," Jaden said enthusiastically.

"Is it true?" Mokuba asked. "Is there gonna be a duel here?"

"Hehehe. You bet," Weevil sneered. "And my opponent is that creepy girl up there." He pointed over to Sara, who had already made it to the dueling arena. "Once I win, we'll be able to walk through the Obelisk dorms without any hassle."

"_If_ you win," Sara quickly added as she activated her Duel Disk, "but I won't let that happen. I'll bury you underground like the worm you are."

"You're the one who's gonna get buried!" Weevil ran up to the stage and activated his Duel Disk. "Let's duel!"

Meanwhile, a suspicious Dr. Crowler was watching the action from behind the stands. _Well, isn't this interesting? Make sure that insect never crawls on our campus again!_

"What's going on here?"

Dr. Crowler spazzed out and nearly tripped over his boots as Alexis Rhodes shouted behind him. However, Crowler merely wiped his brow.

"Ah, Alexis," he said politely, "you're just in time for the fireworks! This Slifer red bug is about to get the squashing he deserves."

Weevil and Sara's Life Point counters were set to 4000 each as they drew five cards.

"Ladies first." Sara drew the first card from her deck. "My first card is the Field Spell, Wasteland!"

And right before the students' eyes, the entire dueling field became barren dry land with rock masses jutting from the ground. The land seemed to have very little water at all.

"Even barren places like this have their own sort of nourishment," Sara explained. "This will increase the attack and defense of all Rock and Zombie monsters by 200 points each."

"You forgot Dinosaur monsters!" Rex yelled from the sidelines.

"I have no dinosaurs in my deck," Sara continued, with a hint of irritation over being interrupted, "so I didn't think I'd need to mention it. Anyway, I'll set two cards face down and…I'll summon Giant Rat (1400/1450) in attack mode!"

Sara's monster was a large rodent-like creature with a skull in its right hand. It bared its fangs for attack mode.

"And that will end my turn," Sara said quietly.

"Fine!" Weevil drew a card from his Duel Disk and added it to his hand. He then examined the field. _She made a big mistake. Her Giant Rat is neither a Rock nor a Zombie!_

"As big as it is, that Rat will make a poor meal for my Bladefly (600/700)! I'll summon it in attack mode as well!"

Weevil summoned a red flying insect monster with a sickle on its right foreleg. Sara merely smirked.

"What are you trying to pull?" she snapped. "That whatever-it-is is much weaker than my Giant Rat."

"Guess again," Weevil said, pushing up his glasses. "Not only does Bladefly's special ability increase every Wind attribute monster's attack by 500, including itself, but it also decreases the attack of all Earth attribute monsters by 400!"

Giant Rat sweatdropped as its attack points decreased to 1000, while Weevil's Bladefly's attack increased to 1100. Sara, however, remained calm.

"Attack, Bladefly!" Weevil ordered, "Wind Sickle!"

Bladefly raised its sickle and swung it, sending a blade of wind flying towards Giant Rat.

"If only it were that easy," Sara said, pressing a button on her Disk. "I reveal my Desert Sunlight Trap card!"

A holographic sun emerged from the raised card and shone brightly. The students had to cover their eyes. By the time the shining stopped, Giant Rat had wrapped its arms around itself (1450).

"Defense mode?!" Weevil said, startled. The wind blade bounced off Giant Rat and back at Bladefly, sending it spinning out of control.

"This is how it works," Sara explained, "My Desert Sunlight switches all my monsters to face up defense mode. And since my monster's defense is higher, you lose a total of 350 Life Points."

Weevil growled, not only because his Life Points had dropped to 3650, but because Giant Rat actually stuck its tongue out at him. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"This isn't looking good," Jaden said.

"It's just a rat, Weevil!" Rex shouted, "Don't lose your cool!"

"Be prepared," Sara said with a creepy smile, "for you don't know what lies beneath the shifting sands of my deck."

Dr. Crowler sneered behind the stands as he struggled to contain his excitement. "I must say, for a freshman, my Sara is quite impressive. Of course, being an Obelisk duelist, I'd expect nothing less!"

"My move!" Sara drew a card from her deck and looked at the cards in her hand. "I play Regenerating Mummy (1800/1500 – 2000/1700) in attack mode!" Sara summoned up what appeared to be a mummy with chunks missing from its body. "And since it's a Dark-attribute monster, your Bladefly's ability won't work on it."

"I know that!" Weevil snapped.

"Don't be so upset, little man," Sara said quietly, "You knew from the beginning you wouldn't last long now, didn't you? Regenerating Mummy! Attack his Bladefly!"

Regenerating Mummy shuffled its way over to Bladefly, raising its arm and taking a strong swing at it, shattering it into pieces. But Weevil merely smiled.

"Hehehe…Thank you."

"What?" Sara stared at Weevil. Why would he thank her for destroying his monster?

"I activate my Option Hunter Trap card!" Weevil raised his face down card. "When my Bladefly is sent to the graveyard, I can boost my Life Points by its original attack points! See what patience does for you?"

Weevil's Life points were raised to 4250.

"It doesn't matter…how much life you have," Sara said coldly. "This duel will be over soon. I promise it. I'll activate my face down Needle Wall!"

Weevil blinked after Sara raised her card. "What's a Needle Wall?"

"Well, it's quite simple," Sara explained. "It's one of my favorite trap cards. The monster zones on your Duel Disk will be numbered one to five. During my standby phase, I will roll a six-sided die and whatever number comes up on top, my wall will automatically destroy the monster in the zone of the same number. And if it just so happens I roll a six, then I get to roll again."

"That doesn't scare me," Weevil said. "I have no monsters out!"

"_Yet,_" Sara finished for him. "You'll have to do something in order to destroy my monsters and bring down my Life Points." As she spoke, Regenerating Mummy growled hungrily. "And with that, I end my turn."

"Good." Weevil drew his next card. _Right now, I don't have anything that can take down her Mummy, but maybe this will do…_

"I'll set a monster in Defense mode in Zone Three, plus one more card face down. That ends my turn."

"Is that all you can do? Oh well." Sara drew her next card. "I was hoping a former champion would be a better challenge. Activate Needle Wall!"

A holographic dice cube emerged on the field and literally popped into the air. Weevil watched nervously as the cube went spinning wildly. It hit the ground again and the number that landed face up is…

"Hmm. Consider yourself lucky, Weevil."

The wasteland ground crumbled as a spiked wall emerged and crushed an empty Zone Five. Weevil let out a sigh of relief as he pushed up his glasses. _That was too close._

"Guess I'll just destroy your monster the old fashioned way. Regenerating Mummy, attack!"

It was clear that Regenerating Mummy was one of the slowest attackers ever, judging by the way it shuffled over to Weevil's face down card. As it raised its arm, a brief image of a black ladybug with a skull on its back could be seen before being shattered by Sara's Mummy. Once again, Weevil smiled.

"Hehehe…you're too kind." Weevil's Life Points were raised to 5250.

"What?! How in Amon's name…?!" Sara nearly screamed.

Weevil's glasses glinted as he sneered at her. "The monster you attacked was my Skull-Mark Ladybug. And since you sent it to the graveyard, its ability kicks in and grants me 1000 Life Points!"

"Huh. I can see why he was a champion," Jaden said. "This Weevil guy's actually not half bad."

"Big deal. So he got lucky," Chazz replied. "I guarantee it won't last long."

"You just wait, guys," Rex said. "Weevil's only toying with her right now. Any minute, he'll get serious…I think."

Mokuba's eyes narrowed as he watched the duel carefully.

"I'm not done yet," Sara continued, raising another card. "I activate my trap card, Pharaoh's Treasure. After this card is activated, I can return it to my deck face up and shuffle it. Once I draw it again, I can exchange it for a card in my Graveyard. Plus, I'll play the spell card, Reload. It's much like Card Destruction, only it doesn't work on you. I'll send the four cards in my hand back into my deck…" Sara shuffled her hand back in her deck. "…then draw four more. Scared yet?"

"Give me a break," Weevil sneered as she drew four new cards.

"Very well," Sara said. "I will set a monster in defense mode and end my turn now."

"It's about time." Weevil drew his next card and looked at it. "Heh heh…there we go. I summon Neo Bug (1800/1700) in Attack Mode!" Neo Bug makes his latest appearance on the field, clashing his claws together. "And while I'm at it, I'll give it some firepower! I equip it with the spell, Laser Cannon Armor!"

Neo Bug hunched over and a huge laser cannon assembled on its back, raising its attack strength to 2100.

"Ready? Aim…FIRE!"

Neo Bug let loose a laser blast from its cannon, blasting Regenerating Mummy to pieces. Sara's Life Points dropped to 3900.

_I could easily have destroyed that Giant Rat,_ Weevil thought,_ but if I did that, she can summon another Earth-Attribute monster. Besides, since it's in Defense Mode, I can't damage her Life Points._

"Well, well, well," Sara said, condescendingly, "looks like you have a brain under there after all."

"I didn't become a champion by slacking off!" Weevil snapped.

"And yet there you are, in Slifer Red," Sara sneered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jaden shouted from the stands.

"Get a clue, slacker," Chazz scoffed.

"But enough about that," Sara went on. "Are you done or not?"

"Of course not!" Weevil snapped again as he searched his hand. "Actually…yes. I am done. Heh."

"I swear, you're so stupid." Sara drew another card from her deck. "Now, I'll activate my Needle Wall once again."

The dice cube returned to the field and launched into the air. It clattered on the field and landed on a 1.

"Well, well," Weevil said, "Lucky me. I have no monsters in Zone 1."

"And with what I just drew, soon you'll have no monsters at all." Sara laid a card face up on her disk. "I sacrifice my Giant Rat in order to summon Giant Axe Mummy (1700/2000)!"

The Giant Rat on the field shattered as the ground beneath it crumbled. From beneath the surface of the Wasteland rose a golem of dust and bones wrapped in tattered cloth. It carried a giant steel blade in its right hand.

"And I'm not done yet," Sara continued. "I'll power up my monster with my Violet Crystal Spell card! And thanks to my Wasteland, its points rise even more." Giant Axe Mummy's attack and defense rose to 2200 and 2500, respectively.

"You're in for a world of hurt," Sara said as she commanded her monster. "Now, my Giant Axe Mummy, attack! Violet Axe Slice!"

Giant Axe Mummy stomped forward swinging its axe. Weevil desperately searched his hand for a solution, but it was too late. Giant Axe Mummy's axe glowed violet from the Equip Spell as it swung forward and chopped Neo Bug in half.

"You're such a fool, Weevil Underwood," Sara gloated as Weevil's Life Points dropped to 5150.

Weevil drew another card from his deck. _None of this is going according to plan. I need to play Defense Mode and regroup._ "I'll set a monster in Defense Mode…" Weevil set a card face down in Zone five. "And end my turn."

Sara drew a card from her deck. "Once again with the Needle Wall…" The holographic dice cube returned once again and popped into the air. The cube clattered on the floor and landed with a six face up.

"Second time's the charm. AGAIN!" The dice cube popped into the air and fell to the floor, landing with a five face up. Weevil's glasses slipped a bit. "Uh oh."

The spikes rose from the floor and skewered Weevil's face down card. Before it shattered, the card appeared to be a blue grasshopper-looking insect. _So much for Howling Insect…_

"Aww, poor baby," Sara said with a hint of sarcasm. "Let's proceed, Giant Axe Mummy! Violet Axe Slice! Attack him directly!"

Giant Axe Mummy stomped forward again and raised its axe. Weevil put his arms up to shield himself, just as the Mummy brought down the axe and, literally, cut Weevil's Life Points down to size (2950).

"That's not good," Rex said. "Even without that mummy, Weevil's monsters are vulnerable to that Needle Wall!"

"Don't worry about it, Rex," Jaden said. "I'm sure Weevil will turn this around."

"No, he won't," Sara said, in her soft, creepy tone. "This duel was decided before it began. You are no champion. You don't even deserve to be here. You are a failure."

* * *

Ouch. Those are some harsh words. But are they true? Actually...we already know the answer to that. But it doesn't look like it'll stop Weevil. But when Sara pulls out the big guns, will it spell an early end for Weevil's rebirthing duel career?

Next chapter: **Millennium Scorpion.**


	13. Millennium Scorpion

Chapter 13 – Millennium Scorpion

_Failure? Me?!_

Weevil's mind flashbacked to his glory days, hearing people cheering for him and Rex. He clenched his fist in anger.

"No one…"

Sara raised an eyebrow.

"No one calls me a failure," Weevil shouted, "except my sister!"

It was those words that caused a bead of sweat to roll down the backs of everyone's heads.

"You listen to me, Little Miss Obelisk. Every duelist I face is just another rung on the ladder, and I'm determined to climb to the top! And no creepy, raccoon-eyed, little girl is going to stand in my way!"

_Raccoon-eyed?_ Sara thought. _What's he talking about?_ "You talk the talk, little man, but you lack the drive to survive. That is why you cheated in your duels."

"Eh?"

"Just admit it. Can you honestly look me in the eyes and say you can beat me fairly? Without cheating?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," Weevil drew a card from his deck. He suddenly heard a faint giggle again. _Huh? What was that?_ He looked around the arena, but there were no other girls to be seen. Of course, he didn't realize that Alexis was behind the stands with Dr. Crowler. _It happened again. Don't tell me it's coming from this card?_ Weevil looked at his card. It was the same card Professor Autumn gave him.

_I have a card in my hand that I feel will be of better use to you than me. I want you to take special care of it, okay?_

He heard the card giggling again. _I must be losing it._

"What are you doing?" Sara snapped. "Hurry up and play something."

"Don't rush me!" Weevil snapped back. "I'll set a monster in Defense Mode in Zone two, plus one card face down. And it's back to you, _princess_." _This had better work._

_What happened when Weevil drew that card?_ Rex thought. _Was he looking for something?_

That's when Jaden heard a familiar cooing sound. "Huh? Winged Kuriboh?" A brown puffball with wings appeared on Jaden's shoulder and pointed at Weevil. Jaden's eyes widened a little. "Hey, you're right. I see it too!"

"I draw." Sara draws another card from her deck. "And you know what happens next!" A holographic dice cube materializes on the field and launches into the air. It clatters on the ground, landing face up on a one.

"Aww, too bad." Weevil sneered as Sara examined the field.

_Let's see…I can probably easily destroy that monster with my Giant Axe Mummy, but his face down card worries me. It could be a trap. I'll send out one of my weaker monsters to deal with it first._

"Muka Muka, rise! (600/300)" Sara summoned what appeared to be an insectoid monster with smokestacks on its back. "And I'm sure you know its special abili-"

"I know what it does!" Weevil shouted, "Its attack and defense points increase by 300 for every card in your hand, right?"

"I see. You're a fan of the older monsters." As Sara spoke, more smoke billowed out of Muka Muka's back, as its attack and defense was raised to 1800.

"Muka Muka, attack! Crawling Chaos!"

As Muka Muka skittered over to Weevil's monster, with smoke billowing hard, Weevil's monster revealed itself: A female monster in a pink flower petal dress, blonde hair, and thorny green arms defended itself.

"…?!"

Muka Muka raised its pincers and struck Weevil's monster, but it was pushed back by her thorny arms. Sara's Life Points dropped to 3700.

"Surprise, surprise!" Weevil said gleefully. "This is one of my newest acquisitions: Prickle Fairy! (300/2000) And as long as she's out on the field, you can't damage any of my insect monsters without going through her first!"

"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" Jaden shouted.

"Go get'm, Weevil!" Syrus shouted.

"He's doing better than I had expected," Bastion said.

"Yeah," Mokuba agreed, "but can he keep it up?"

"That doesn't matter to me," Sara spoke. "My Giant Axe Mummy still has more attack points! Go, Violet Axe…"

"I don't think so!" Weevil interrupted. "I play my trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device!"

Giant Axe Mummy stopped in its tracks and returned to Sara's hand, increasing Muka Muka's attack strength to 2100 along the way.

"Rrr…you little…"

"Of course I didn't use it immediately, because if I returned your Mummy too early, then Muka Muka's attack points would've increased and its attack would've gone through."

"True. But now you realize that Muka Muka is the strongest monster on the field, right?"

"That matters little to me! Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to make my move!"

"Make it quick."

"She's losing her cool, Wesley," Dalton said in the stands. However, Wesley didn't seem to care. It was hard to tell what he was thinking through those reflective sunglasses, which right now reflected the image of the intense duel before them.

Weevil drew another card from his deck and looked at it, then looked at it. _This will do fine._ "I'll play the Spell card, Delinquent Duo!"

"What's a Delinquent Duo card?" Sara asked.

"It works like this. First, I pay 1000 of my Life Points (1950), then my little friends send two random cards in your hand to the graveyard!"

_Two?! _Sara growled as a pair of goblins appeared on the field: a pinkish one with a number 1 on its head, and a blue one with a 2 on its head.

"Get to work!" The goblins laughed wickedly as they hopped over to Sara and yanked two cards from her hand: Giant Axe Mummy and a Trap Card, Bottomless Shifting Sand. And because of this, Muka Muka's attack points dropped to 1500. Sara, as you can imagine, was not a happy camper.

"Curse you…"

"Don't be so upset," Weevil said smugly. "Once I win the duel, I'll be a nice guy and buy you lunch. How does that sound?"

Sara blushed a bit and her eyes widened. "I don't need you buttering me up, you termite!"

"Yeah!" Dalton yelled from the stands. "After all, she's got me!"

"No, I don't, Dalton!" Sara snapped back, causing Dalton to sulk miserably. Wesley put his hand on Dalton's shoulder. "I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me."

"Ooh, so angsty," Weevil said. "But that's all right. That means I don't need to feel sorry for you when I win! I summon my Girochin Kuwagata in Attack mode (1700/1000)!"

Weevil summoned a humanoid insect monster with giant pincers on the sides of its head.

"Attack, Kuwagata! Double Pincer Crush!"

Girochin Kuwagata shrieked as it opened those huge pincers and took a big chomp out of Muka Muka, lowering Sara's Life Points to 3500.

"You…"

"I don't know what 'lies beneath your shifting sands,'" Weevil said, "But I'll be more than glad to dig it all up!"

Rex's eyes widened. _Does he have a plan?_

"Dig it all up? Don't make me laugh." Sara drew a card from her deck. "I play the spell, Graceful Charity. Now, I can draw three new cards and send two from my hand to the Graveyard." Sara draws three cards from her disk and examines them. _Perfect. This is just what I need._ She then sends two more cards to her Graveyard slot.

"Then I play the spell, Premature Burial! Now, in exchange for 800 Life Points, I can summon one of my favorite monsters from the Graveyard and equip it with this card."

"Huh?"

Sara held her arm out. "Now, rise, Millennium Scorpion!"

"Millenium WHAT?!"

As Sara's Life Points dropped to 2700, the surface of the Wasteland seemed to crack and break apart. From beneath its surface, a giant armored blue scorpion rose and let out a shrill cry. The Millennium eye symbol was embossed on its back and the stinger on its tail seemed highly venomous (2000/1800).

"Whoa," Syrus said, a little shaken, "that's…uh…"

"Yeah, it's really big," Mokuba said.

"WOW!" Weevil screamed with excitement. "Th-That's one of the rarest insect monsters in the world! I've been looking everywhere for one of those!"

"Well, now you get to see its powers up close," Sara said. "However, since my Scorpion's attack points are the same as your little fairy, I can't do anything else."

"Sara!" Dalton yelled from the stands. "You forgot to activate Needle Wall!"

"What?!" Sara's face started to turn red again. "How could I have missed that? You won't be so lucky next turn!"

"That's fine by me. (That thing is so COOL!)" Weevil drew his next card.

"Hey, Bastion," Syrus asked, "What makes that Millennium Scorpion card so rare anyway?"

"To tell you the truth I don't know myself," Bastion answered. "I've never seen this card in action before."

"Weevil's just lucky his monster has enough Defense Points," Mokuba chimed in. "If Millennium Scorpion destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the graveyard, its Attack points increase by 500 for each one."

"Wow," Jaden said, impressed. "You know a lot about this card."

"Well, the KaibaCorp database has quite an extensive record on cards made by Industrial Illusions. Nearly every card Pegasus released to the public is recorded in its memory banks. I used that same database to help build my deck."

"Guys, look!" Syrus shouted, "Weevil's making his move!"

"First, I'll switch my Kuwagata to Defense Mode (1000), then I'll set one card face down. That ends my turn."

Sara drew her next card without saying a word. "I won't need my Needle Wall to destroy you. I activate my face down card, Dust Tornado! So say goodbye to your face down card."

As the card was flipped face up, a vortex of feathers came to the field and shattered Weevil's trap card.

_So much for Cemetery Bomb._

"Not only that," Sara continued, "I'll summon Destroyer Golem (1500/800) in Attack mode!" Sara summoned up a large rock monster with a rather organic looking right arm.

"Summon all you want," Weevil gloated. "My little Prickle Fairy has enough Defense to brush off both of your monsters."

"I know," Sara said, "which is why I play the spell, Pyramid Energy! Now, I have a choice of which of its abilities to use. Until the end phase of my turn, I can either increase my Monsters' Attack points by 200 or I can increase their Defense by 500."

Weevil's eyes widened. "Uh oh…"

"And I'll choose option one! Now, Millennium Scorpion (2200), attack his Prickle Fairy!"

Millennium Scorpion scuttled over once again, grabbing Prickle Fairy in its claws and skewering it with its tail. As his monster shattered, Weevil could've sworn he heard a voice scream. He looked around for a bit, but saw no one else…

"And now, my Scorpion's ability activates," Sara said in her creepy tone, snapping Weevil out of his search. The dust around Millennium Scorpion seemed to stir. "The holographic pixels flow and intermingle with the endless sands…bestowing ever greater power to the Millennium Scorpion. 500 points to be exact."

Indeed, Scorpion's attack points rose to 2700.

"Tell me something," Weevil asked. "Are you always this creepy?"

"Oh, hush," Sara said. "I still have one more attack. Destroyer Golem (1900), attack his Kuwagata!"

The ground shook as Destroyer Golem stomped forward and raised its right arm and brought it down hard, squashing Weevil's Kuwagata.

"Heh," Weevil said. "No skin off my nose."

"It's not your nose you need to worry about," Sara said with a snide tone. "Now, go ahead and draw."

"Fine." Weevil closed his eyes as he put his finger on the next card. _I need something that can destroy her Scorpion! Please give me something good!_ Weevil drew his card and looked at it. "Ha! This is perfect! First, I'll flip my Pinch Hopper face up in Attack Mode!" Weevil's face up monster was revealed to be a grasshopper looking insect monster. "Next, I play the Spell card, Eradicating Aerosol!"

Sara narrowed her eyes. "That card will destroy my Scorpion. But you miscalculated. It will also destroy your insect monster. That Pinch Hopper's been wasted and your Life Points are wide open."

Indeed, once the can of Aerosol materialized on the field, it sprayed a green gas noxious enough to make Dr. Crowler faint (as he just did). Both Millennium Scorpion and Pinch Hopper turned over and twitched horribly before they shattered. The only monster remaining was Destroyer Golem. However, this didn't stop Weevil's smile from widening. "Correction! It's far from wasted! When Pinch Hopper is sent to the graveyard, I can summon any Insect Monster in my hand to the field, regardless of its level!"

Sara's eyes widened. "Any Insect Monster? You plan on summoning that Moth?"

"No," Weevil stopped her. "The monster in my hand is much more awesome than Great Moth."

* * *

You guys probably know what Weevil's monster is already, but you better not squeal! Also, the monster Prickle Fairy was first used in the duel between Missy and Syrus. Anyway, when Weevil's strongest monster is unleashed, what will Sara do? The answer may shock you.

Next Chapter: **End of the Duel, End of the Day.** Read it.

And about earlier, Sara doesn't believe she uses that much eye makeup.


	14. End of the Duel, End of the Day

Once again, Peter Kim, I rarely know what you're talking about. This is a completely different third year and we're doing things MY way. You probably know already, but it's not what you'd call..."canon."

Chapter 14 – End of the Duel, End of the Day

"My card is Insect Queen (2200/2400)!"

Weevil slapped the card on his Duel Disk in attack mode. From the remaining acid green mists of Aerosol, emerged a huge red insect monster with an enormous abdomen, long spindly blue legs, and the shrieking face of a vampire woman.

"Okay," Syrus said, shaking quite a bit. "That sucker's huge!"

"It looks a lot scarier now that I see it in person," Mokuba said.

"I know," Jaden said. "Isn't it great?!"

Sara's stared down the Insect Queen with no fear in her eyes as it let out another shrill cry.

"This is my ultimate insect monster!" Weevil said proudly. "Its attack points increase by 200 for every insect monster on the field! And since my Queen has been Special Summoned, I can summon one more monster to the field! And I choose Leghul (300/350)!"

Weevil's little worm monster emerges, hungry for Life Points. "It's feeding time for my bugs! Attack, Leghul!"

Leghul quickly squirmed over to Sara and took a pinch out of her leg, dropping her Life Points to 2400.

"Now, it's Insect Queen's turn! But it can't attack without sacrificing a monster first! So, Leghul, you're Insect Queen's first meal!"

The gang watched in horror as Insect Queen messily sank its teeth into Leghul, devouring it little by little and leaving a mess of bug guts on the field.

"Dude, that's harsh!" Jaden said, while Syrus actually fainted.

"That's just gross," Alexis said.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Dr. Crowler agreed.

"Now, it's your turn Insect Queen!" Weevil ordered. "Attack Destroyer Golem!"

Insect Queen marched forward and literally disassembled Destroyer Golem with a few slashes of her front claws. Sara's eye twitched as her Life Points dropped to 1800. _This is very bad,_ Sara thought to herself.

"But it doesn't stop there," Weevil continued. "Every time my Queen destroys a monster, she lays an Insect Egg Token to maintain her attack points!"

True to the word, Insect Queen released an egg from her abdomen into one of Weevil's monster zones.

"And with that, I end my turn."

Sara continues staring down the Insect Queen before drawing her next card. Her pale blue eyes carefully scan the field for any weaknesses, then to her hand. She then raised her right hand…

"Huh?" Weevil was dumbfounded. "Are you asking for a teacher? You can't call for help during a duel!"

"Based on the cards in play and the cards in my hand," Sara said quietly, "I only have one solution." She put her hand back down on her Duel Disk. "I forfeit."

The entire arena remained silent for what seemed to be an entire minute. Even Weevil and Rex couldn't think of anything to say.

"You WHAT?!" Dalton blurted out.

The entire arena went into the smallest uproar in the world. Even Chazz was sputtering nonsense. The only ones who remained silent were Wesley (no surprise), Sara, and Weevil himself, who just stared at her with wide eyes.

"But…why did you…?"

Sara showed Weevil her hand. "Nothing in my hand could've saved me. My monster, Sword Hunter, needed two monsters to be sacrificed and I had none. My face down card is called Pharaoh's Treasure. And it's completely useless. Besides…"

Sara stared straight at Weevil, as though trying to hypnotize him. As Sara stared into Weevil's eyes, he felt a sort of coldness in his heart, similar to when he was taken over by the Orichalcos.

"Besides…"

"Besides what?" Weevil asked.

Sara closed her eyes. "Besides…nothing. Oh, and by the way, just because I gave up, doesn't mean you won the bet."

"Yes it does!"

"No, it doesn't. Now, if you'll excuse me…my eye shadow's all smudged." Sara retracted her Duel Disk and turned to leave, but found herself face to face with smug Dr. Crowler, wiping his nose with a handkerchief.

"Doctor…"

"Don't be so ashamed, Sara. Even I have come to accept that even Obelisk Blue students can't win them all (no matter how much I want them to). Regardless, I plan on seeing each and every one of you tomorrow at school, and remind you not to be late…_Jaden_."

"What are you glaring at me for?" Jaden asked.

"Now then, I do believe I have some papers to take care of. Carry on." Dr. Crowler turned around and walked off with his chin up.

Weevil's eye twitched as he walked back to the other Slifer students. _Crossdressing weirdo._

"Way to go, Weevil!" Jaden shouted.

"Way to go what?" Weevil asked. "She just gave up. It's not the same as winning outright."

"But you still won, Weevil," Mokuba said.

"And you did it without cheating," Bastion said. "I'd say that's an accomplishment if ever there was one."

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Jaden continued, "who's up for Egg-wiches?"

"Let's just hope Damien didn't steal them all again," Syrus said.

"Wait."

The gang stopped and turned around. Sara was still there.

"Can…I come too?"

Everyone felt a bead of sweat run down their heads.

"You promised, Weevil." Sara narrowed her eyes. "Remember?"

"Uh…"

"Sure!" Jaden responded happily. "The more, the merrier! Even if it's a snooty Obelisk Blue student!"

"Um…Thanks?"

As Sara caught up with them, a thought went through Weevil's mind. What was that voice? And what did it have to do with his Prickle Fairy?

"She wants you," Rex whispered to him.

"Shut up!" Weevil whispered back.

"Man, this stinks!" Dalton said, grumpily. "I came here without taking a shower to see Sara kick butt, and she quits! Talk about a downer."

Wesley, as usual, didn't seem to be paying much attention.

* * *

Mokuba: Man alive, that Sara girl scares the life outta me! Now I know I didn't look too impressive in this chapter and I didn't do much, but I promise you the next one is mine! Mokuba Kaiba's gonna tear stuff up! Oh yeah!

Rex: Kaiba, you only have one scene in the next chapter!

Mokuba: ...You're kidding, right?

Next Chapter: **Our Hot Alchemy Teacher!!!**


	15. Our Hot Alchemy Teacher!

Chapter 15 – Our Hot Alchemy Teacher!!!

Finally, the classes have started. Professor Autumn's classroom was lined with the usual rising stadium seats, like any other, as well as a large flat screen monitor mounted on the front wall. However, for that unique flair, the walls were also decorated with large plastic colored leaves (thank you, Martha Stewart).

"So, then she just gave up!"

"Yes, Weevil. I know. I was there!"

Weevil and Rex were among the first of the Slifer Students to enter the classroom. Jaden, of course, had "accidentally" set his clock to PM instead of AM again. The people who _hadn't_ overslept were Bastion, Syrus, Mokuba, Dalton, Wesley, and others. Weevil felt a slight smugness since his first duel at the Academy and was willing to tell whoever would care to listen. However, as Weevil and Rex sat down, he didn't realize that Rex wasn't the only one listening. Sara, who was sitting right in front of them, was spying on the two through her compact makeup mirror while she was applying _more_ black eye shadow. Mokuba was sitting closer to the front, once again drawing on his sketchpad. He had no idea that Ichigo June was in the back of the room, staring at him with a cute smile. Also staring at Mokuba were Alexis' roommates, Mindy and Jasmine.

"Is that him? The one you told me about?"

"Yeah, that's Kaiba's brother!"

"He's really cute for a freshman!"

"He's really cute for a Ra!"

And as always, sitting right next to them, was Alexis Rhodes, doing her best to contain her frustration with those two, as Mindy and Jasmine are always shifting from one boy to another…

…_Even though he is kinda cute,_ Alexis thought to herself.

Before anyone knew it, Professor Autumn had walked into class, making her beauty (as well as her plaid miniskirt) noticed by most of the boys in the class. Even Mokuba was blushing a little. Once again, she had her Slifer Red jacket tied around her waist.

"Good morning, class. Some of you may not know me. My name is Professor Sharon Autumn and I am the new headmaster or, I should say, headmistress of the Slifer Red dorm. For the majority of the class, I've decided to take over Professor Banner's Alchemy class, but I will be teaching other things as well. I also want you to bear in mind that I am a teacher and not a swimsuit model, _boys._" She stressed the last word to snap the boys' minds back to reality (except for Syrus). Professor Autumn pushed up her glasses and held up some papers, looking them over carefully.

"Now, according to this," she continued, "Professor Banner had taught you the basics of alchemy and even performed a few experiments. It also says the class had ended early due to unexplained circumstances (I believe I already covered that), but despite that, the class will go on under my tutelage."

"Did she just say…?"

"She said _tut_elage, Rex!"

"Now then," Professor Autumn continued, "as you know, alchemy is a science that sought to transform one chemical element into another through a combination of magic and chemistry. In this particular case, we use the same type of magic once used long ago to summon Duel Monster spirits."

_Spirits?_ Weevil thought to himself. _Is that what I heard the other day?_

"However," Autumn's voice chimed in, snapping Weevil back to reality, "we know very little about the origins of this amazing science. That is what you're here to learn and that," she slapped her hand on the front desk, startling a gray haired Obelisk student (Belowski!), "is what I'm here to teach you."

Belowski blinked a couple times before bursting into laughter. "Whoaaaaa…do that again!"

This caused the entire classroom to roar with laughter while Autumn merely ruffled up his hair. The only exceptions were Weevil and Rex, who just stared at Belowski with looks of confusion.

"I don't think I'll ever get that guy," Rex said.

"Don't worry about him, guys," Jaden said, startling the two as he took his seat next to Rex. "Belowski's a little…out of it, but he's a good guy. _And_ an awesome duelist, too."

"I find that hard to believe," Weevil said.

"Ahh, Mr. Yuki," Professor Autumn said, just noticing his arrival. "I do hope you know you're seven minutes late."

"Really?" Jaden said in a jolly tone. "I was kinda going for ten!"

Autumn closed her eyes and smiled. "Nevertheless, class will go on as scheduled. Now, kindly direct your attention to the board. Mr. Dalton, could you please get the lights?" A click was heard as the lights went out. "Thank you." She held up a remote to the flat screen monitor and pressed a button. An image of a desert in Egypt, complete with pyramids, showed up on the monitor.

"The origin of western alchemy may generally be traced to ancient Egypt. Metallurgy and mysticism were inexorably tied together in the ancient world. It is claimed therefore that alchemy in ancient Egypt was the domain of the priestly class. Egyptian alchemy is known mostly throughout the writings of ancient Greek philosophers, which in turn have often survived only in Islamic translations…"

After about ten minutes of talking, the students began to grow sleepy. The boys could barely even look at Professor Autumn's chest anymore. There were only three students still awake. Weevil was trying desperately hard to keep his eyes open. Sara, however, remained completely motionless as she jotted down notes about the Professor's lecture. The same was with Wesley, though it was hard to tell because the images of the slides reflected on his sunglasses. Just when Weevil thought he'd go back to bed early, he heard that giggling voice again. His glasses nearly fell off his face as he looked around for the voice.

_Your…cards…_

"Huh? My cards?" He nudged Rex's shoulder. "Rex! Are you hearing this too?"

"Mmnff…five more minutes…"

"Rrr…Jaden! Wake up!"

Jaden let out a big yawn as he opened his eyes. "Whoo…that was some lesson. I…Wait, it's not over! You're supposed to wake me _only_ when it's over!"

"This is important!"

"Mr. Underwood!"

Weevil and Jaden stared at Professor Autumn. Her arms were folded and the ever present smile on her face was no longer present.

"Do you have something you'd like to say?"

Weevil started to blush again. She's even cute when she's pouting! But he merely shook his head for a no. Professor Autumn smiled again.

"Very well, then. I would like you to see me after class."

"After…class?" Weevil's entire face turned beet red. What messed up perverted thoughts could be going through his mind right now? And for some reason, Sara's eye twitched.

"Mr. Dalton?"

Dalton was out cold as well. He was leaning against the wall, drooling. He woke up, however, after getting hit on the head by one of Professor Autumn's cards.

"Mr. Dalton, could you please get the lights?"

The lights turned back on.

"Now, for your homework, I would like a two page typed report about how the original sealing of monster spirits into stone tablets is related to Egyptian Alchemy. Double spaced, of course. Also, as a reminder, the Academy Homecoming Dance will be coming up the Saturday after next. You're welcome to go on your own if you want, but if you want to get a date, do it soon. And no," she added on, as most of the boys got out of their seats, "I am not dating any students."

* * *

Duo: Just so you folks know, that bit about alchemy in Professor Autumn's lecture? I snagged it from Wikipedia. Thanks guys!

Weevil: So what's going on next chapter?

Duo: Well, you're going to be consulting a few people about the little voices in your head. And Jaden gets dragged into an embarrassing predicament.

Jaden: Uh...are we talking "harmless joke" embarrassing or "scarred for life" embarrassing?

Duo: You'll just have to wait and see. Next chapter: **Spirited Away.**

Weevil: That's the title??

Duo: I'd like to see _you_ think of anything better.


	16. Spirited Away

Oh dear! Such wonderful praise from new readers! Y'know, I keep wondering to myself, should I be putting the disclaimer on _every_ chapter? Eh, why bother? The one on the first page should be enough.

**Chapter 16 – Spirited Away**

"Now, will you please kindly explain why you were interrupting my lecture? I was on a roll!"

Weevil sat in a chair in front of Professor Autumn's desk. How could he explain what was going on in his mind? He could barely bring himself to look at her. Professor Autumn put her fingers together.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to have to refer you to Dr. Crowler."

"Okay, here's what happened," Weevil started, putting his Prickle Fairy card on her desk. He'd rather parade around the island in nothing more than his dragonfly underdraws than talk to Dr. Crowler about _anything._ "Ever since you gave me this card, I've been hearing…voices. Like, not long ago, I heard someone giggling. I'm pretty sure it's coming from this card now."

Professor Autumn narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"Professor…am I losing my mind?"

She started giggling to herself, but couldn't hold it long as she started laughing her head off. The whole situation was embarrassing for both of them. Weevil blinked. Was losing his mind really that funny?

"I don't see what's so funny, Professor!" Weevil said, slamming his hands on her desk.

"Oh…oh my…I'm sorry." Professor Autumn wiped her glasses. "I can assure you you have nothing to worry about. You are not losing your mind at all."

"I'm not?"

"It's actually rather common on this island. Alongside our own world, there also exists a world of duel monster spirits. And from time to time, certain spirits come to have an emotional bond with humans. I don't entirely understand it myself, but duel monster spirits are sort of a…partner, who will act as your guide during a duel."

Weevil narrowed his eyes at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"

Autumn laughed softly. "I know it seems…strange. But if you don't believe me, then why don't you ask your friend Jaden?"

"Jaden?"

"According to my student files, Jaden has the ability to communicate with monster spirits. Although, one may find it hard to believe by the way he acts."

After a few minutes of discussion (and Autumn turning down Weevil's offer to take her to the dance), Weevil was dismissed from the room. Rex, of course, was outside waiting for him.

"So what happened?"

Weevil didn't even bother to look at him. "I need to talk to Jaden about something."

"What?!" Rex asked, stunned. "Forget about him! We need to get ourselves dates for the dance before they're all taken!"

Weevil racked up his brain. _Let's see…monster spirit…or pretty girls…actually, I already know the answer to that._ "We should probably hurry."

----XXXXXX----

The boys were soon back at the Slifer Red Cafeteria with Jaden and Bastion, much to Rex's dismay. Apparently, Weevil's state of mind was much more important than getting a date.

"HAHAHAHAHA!! That's what you were worried about?!"

Jaden was laughing his butt off about Weevil's predicament. Weevil's Prickle Fairy card was on the table and Weevil himself had several veins blossoming in his forehead.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Weevil yelled. "I thought I was going crazy!"

"Well if you ask me," Rex said, bored, "the whole thing sounds kinda crazy."

"I thought it was crazy as well," Bastion agreed, "until some of the students, including Jaden, took a field trip with Professor Banner. There, they found out there was a different world alongside ours where Duel Monster spirits lived. Judging by their encounters with Jaden and Chazz, most spirits turn out to be quite friendly towards humans."

"Why didn't you go?" Weevil asked, while raising an eyebrow, "and what do you mean 'most'?"

"I had some…things to take care of," Bastion said. "And honestly, I am _not_ an early riser."

"And to answer your other question," Jaden continued for Bastion, "there was this one time where a few Obelisk students tried to summon the spirit of Jinzo. But they didn't know Jinzo was evil."

Both Weevil and Rex stared at Jaden as he continued the story. "And that's what happened. Exciting stuff, huh?"

Weevil's mouth hung wide open. "YOU'RE SAYING I COULD BE DEALING WITH SOMETHING THAT COULD TAKE AWAY MY SOUL?!" At that, an image of a green unicursal hexagram inscribed in a circle flashed through his head. Weevil wrapped his arms around himself and shivered feverishly. Jaden and Bastion stared at him skeptically while Rex merely smiled sheepishly.

"Anyway," Bastion went on, picking up the card, "I doubt your Prickle Fairy is much of a danger. It only has 300 attack points, so it's fairly weak. And besides that, I doubt that Professor Autumn would've given you anything dangerous."

"So tell me," Rex said, "if Weevil and Jaden can see monster spirits, then why can't I?"

"Well, it probably takes longer for other people to see spirits," Bastion explained. "Most people can't sense spirits at all. Of course, this is only a theory. You should count yourself lucky, Weevil."

Weevil took his card back from Bastion. He heard that mysterious giggle again. "…Really?"

"Enough about spirits right now!" Rex said, rudely. "If we don't get dates for this dance, we'll have to go solo! And I don't know about you two, but I think that's just plain embarrassing!"

"Uh…" Jaden felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his head. "Actually…" Before he could speak, a pair of small hands covered his eyes.

"Guess whoooooo?"

Jaden felt a chill run down his spine as he smiled nervously. "Oh. Hello, Blair."

First year Slifer girl, Blair Flannigan removed her hands from Jaden's face and sat down between him and Bastion ("Well, pardon you, then," said Bastion). Weevil suddenly forgot about his dilemma and watched with Rex, both in interest.

"I do hope you haven't forgotten about the dance, Jaden!" Blair said sternly.

"Blair, you know I can't dance!" Jaden said in a whiny tone.

"I know! That's why I'm going to teach you. We do have two weeks after all." Blair smiled sweetly as the color faded from Jaden's horrified face.

"T-teach me??"

"Come on!" Blair grabbed Jaden's arm and literally dragged him out of the cafeteria. "We've got work to do!"

"We'll talk more about this later, Weevil!" Those were Jaden's last words before the door slammed. Bastion, Weevil, Rex, and a number of other Slifer students stared at the door, astonished.

_He's already got a date?!_ Weevil and Rex both thought at once.

_That girl's got Jaden whipped,_ Bastion thought as he sipped his tea.

* * *

Duo-san: You can actually hear a whip crack if you put your ear to the screen. No, I'm serious. 

Dorothy: There's certainly a lot of characters in this story.

Duo-san: This is just the tip of the iceberg, toots. I need a scorecard just to keep track of them all.

Dorothy: So what happens next, hon?

Duo-san: Uh...let's see here... :checks storyboard file: Mm-hm...yes. Weevil and Rex go date-hunting and Syrus throws down!

Syrus: gulp Throws down? Oh, you mean in a duel? Who's my opponent??

Duo-san: Funny you should ask. The next chapter is called: **Dateless in Duel Academy? Syrus VS Missy. **And it's a dooooo-zeeeee.

Syrus: MISSY?! Why am I dueling her again?!

Duo-san: Just trust me on this.


	17. Dateless in Duel Academy? Syrus VS Missy

Thanks for the reviews guys. And Peter Kim, for the record, Aster Phoenix is back in the Pro Leagues now that the matter with the Society is cleared up. As for Zane...who knows?

**Chapter 17 – Dateless in Duel Academy? Syrus VS Missy**

Three days before the dance, and an overdue alchemy report later…

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!"

Weevil and Rex laid back on the grass, exhausted. The two of them had asked every girl at school to the dance…well…any girl they could find, anyway. Twenty-five percent said thought the dance would be a waste of time. Twenty-five percent said they already had a date. The remaining fifty percent said both. Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why. Weevil got back on his feet.

"That's it," Weevil said in a huff. "I guess I'll just go solo, then. I'm going back to the Red dorm." Weevil walked off with a slight slump, but turned around and saw Rex still lying in the grass. "Are you coming?"

"You go ahead," Rex replied. "I'll just lie here for a while."

Weevil looked at Rex for a second before heading back. Rex put his hands behind his head as he stared at the clouds. He let out a big yawn as he felt his eyes close when…

"It's my move, now!"

Rex's eyes popped open once again. Was that a duel he heard? He heard the voice coming from the Ra dorm and Rex ran over as quick as he could. It turns out, he did not hear wrong. Just outside the Ra Dorm, there was an intense duel going on with several Ra and Slifer students watching, including Mokuba. On the left was Syrus Truesdale, with 1100 Life Points. On his field was his cartoony helicopter, Gyroid, in Defense mode (1000/1000) as well as two cards face down. On the right is the newest addition to Ra, Missy Kochou with 2000 Life Points. On her side of the field was a strange humanoid insect monster called Insect Princess (1900/1200) as well as a Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400/900), both in Attack Mode. Lucky for Syrus, it's his turn.

"I'm not the same duelist as before," Missy said in her usual stern tone. "I may be a Ra now, but since I lost to you, I've been doing some practicing. If I can defeat you, I'm sure I will become an Obelisk again…" Missy started to blush, "…and I will be reunited with my Zane!"

Syrus felt a bead of sweat run down his head. "Uh…right. Whatever you say."

"Hey! Kaiba!" Rex shouted, running up to Mokuba. "What's going on here?"

"It's pretty obvious what's going on," Mokuba said, sarcastically indicating the duel before them. "Anyway, that girl, Missy, used to be an Obelisk but I heard she's been demoted to Ra Yellow after Syrus beat her in an official duel. Now, she's challenged Syrus to a duel as payback, but Sy's added a little twist…"

Mokuba whispered in Rex's ear. Rex nodded in acknowledgement before... "WHAT??"

"I have to admit," Mokuba said, smirking, "for a little guy, he sure has a devious mind."

Syrus drew a card from his deck and looked at it. "This'll do. I summon my Steamroid (1800/1800) in Attack mode!"

Syrus summoned up what appeared to be a cartoonish looking locomotive engine with lazy looking eyes. "And it doesn't stop there. Whenever my Steamroid attacks, its attack points get a 500 point boost! Now, Steamroid (2300), attack her Insect Princess! Steam Smasher!"

Missy's eyes widened as Steamroid's whistle blew and went charging right for her Insect Princess. It came to a screeching halt and let loose a huge cloud of white hot steam. Insect Princess shattered and Missy's Life Points dropped to 1600.

"I'll admit, destroying your Kamakiri would've taken a bigger chunk out of your Life Points," Syrus explained, "but I also know that if I did, you'd be able to Special Summon another monster from your deck!"

"Glad to know you've been studying," Missy said, sarcastically, "but this duel's not over yet."

"No, but it will be soon," Syrus said, "and you know what that means!"

"Stop reminding me!" Missy growled at Syrus as she drew another card. She smiled evilly. "This is too good. I just drew one of the strongest monsters of my deck, and I don't even need to sacrifice for it!"

Syrus raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

"I'll remove two insect monsters from my Graveyard (Hercules Beetle and Insect Knight) in order to summon my Doom Dozer (2800/2600) in Attack mode!"

From beneath the earth emerged a giant black centipede with a red underside. It writhed in anger, letting out a horrible shriek.

_Sweet,_ Rex thought with a smirk. _Weevil needs one of those!_

"Ahaha…Isn't my Doom Dozer just lovely?" Missy crooned. "Of course, Zane is much better looking than this one."

"Your Insect Princess was way better looking!" Syrus said defiantly.

"You won't be so snide for long," Missy said, smirking, "for you see, I know about your Steamroid's _other_ ability as it _loses_ 500 attack points whenever it's attacked!"

Syrus smiled sheepishly. "Uh…yeah, that may be true…"

"Doom Dozer, attack Steamroid! Double Scissor Jaws!"

Doom Dozer reared up and started to skitter its way to Steamroid, but that's when Syrus lifted one of his face down cards.

"Not so fast, Missy!" Syrus shouted. "I activate my trap card, Magic Cylinder! It redirects your Doom Dozer's attack right back at you!"

"What?! That can't…" Missy gasped as Doom Dozer turned around and reared up and charged back at her. "No! Stop! You can't do this to me!" But it was too late. Doom Dozer literally steamrolled right over Missy as her Life Points dropped to zero.

"And that's all she wrote!"

The crowd cheered for Syrus and chanted his name as he walked over to Missy, who had gotten to her knees.

"You know the deal, Missy," Syrus said.

"No…I can't…you just got lucky!"

"You lost fair and square, and just as we agreed, I'm taking you to the dance this Saturday!"

Missy's head dropped in over-exaggerated gloom. _Forgive me, Zane…_

Rex put his hand to his head. "That's it! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Huh?" Mokuba asked, skeptically. "You got a headache or something?"

"It's like a headache," Rex said, "but with pictures!"

"What? An idea?"

But Rex didn't respond. He didn't care who or where, but he was on a mission: find the first girl he could see and challenge her to a duel.

Ten minutes later, at the harbor…

You guessed it. "Aw, man. This is hopeless! Huh?"

Rex had just about given up hope when he heard a soft spoken voice behind him.

"I could've sworn I saw him around here."

And there she was, in her Ra Yellow glory. Ichigo June was searching around the harbor for someone. Her long, bright pink hair flowed in the breeze. They were like wind chimes, as she had so many white hair clips keeping each lock apart.

_Jackpot._

"I guess…he's not here." Ichigo turned to leave…

"Hey!"

Ichigo quickly turned back to see Rex fastening his duel disk to his arm. She gasped and pointed at him. "I know you! You're Rex Raptor!"

Rex smiled smugly. _I see my fame hasn't completely dwindled. _"You better believe it, sister. Now, sharpen your fangs, 'cause we're gonna duel!"

* * *

Duo-san: Sharpen your fangs? Geez, that was lame. Anyway, on with the preview! 

Autumn: In order to win a duel, one must reduce his opponent's Life Points to zero or force his opponent to run out of cards. But it takes more than that. It also takes an even balance of skill and luck to draw the cards one needs. Can Rex draw just the right cards and win the duel before it's too late?

Weevil: Betcha thousand yen he can't!!

Rex: Betcha TWO thousand I CAN!!

Duo-san: Next chapter: **Reliving the Awful Memory: Ichigo June's Harpie Deck!  
**

* * *

A/N: By the way, Rex's quote about a headache with pictures comes from a Futurama reference when Zoidberg's people, the Decapodians, invaded Earth. And you probably figured it out, but Ichigo's name is a pun referring to her strawberry hairstyle. 

If you want to see how my OCs look, check out my deviant art page. My username is "DelinquentDuo."


	18. Ichigo June's Harpie Deck

We've got another long one, folks. Once again, I meshed two chapters into one. I'm thinking of doing that for all my dueling chapters.

Chapter 18 – Reliving the Awful Memory: Ichigo June's Harpie Deck

"Um…a duel?" Ichigo said, putting her hand to her chin. "I'd love to!"

"There's just one catch," Rex said, holding up his index finger. "If I win, you have to be my date to the dance."

"What?!" Ichigo was shocked. She was blushing hard as she had not expected this. To be honest, she was actually looking for Mokuba to ask to the dance, but she didn't say anything. She pressed her fingers to her lips and glanced around a bit before making her decision. "Um…sure. Why not? But just so you know, I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a Slifer!"

"I couldn't care less whether you go easy on me or not," Rex said. "Now, let's rumble!"

"All right!" Ichigo slipped on her Duel Disk and both duelists drew five cards and set their Life Points to 4000.

"I'll go first!" Rex drew a card from his deck. "Heh. I play Gilasaurus (1400/400) in Attack mode!"

Rex's raptor monster made its second appearance. "And since it's treated as a special summon, I can normal summon Uraby (1500/800) from my hand!"

Rex's second monster was a larger darker brown raptor with black stripes lining its sleek body.

"Whoa!" Ichigo said in amazement. "That's, like, one of the oldest monster cards in Duel Monsters!"

"What can I say?" Rex replied, shrugging. "I guess this one holds a sentimental value to me. By the way, it's your move."

"Okay, um…let's see here." Ichigo drew a card from her deck, looking over her hand carefully. "I play…Harpie Lady 1 (1300/1400) in Attack mode!"

Rex's eyes widened. _What did she just say?!_

Rex's fears were confirmed when his most hated monster materialized on Ichigo's side of the field. It took the form of a beautiful woman with long red hair and pointed ears, wearing a very revealing tight, black, leather body suit as well as purple stockings. She bore long birdlike talons on her hands and feet, as well as feathery, green wings on her arms.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Ichigo squealed. "If her hair were pink then we could practically be sisters! Though I can't say I'm as attractive as she is. Anyway, as long as my Harpie Lady 1 is on the field, she can increase the Attack points of my Wind monsters by 300 points! (ATK: 1600) Harpie Lady 1, attack his Gilasaurus! Harpie Claw Slash!"

Harpie Lady 1 extended her wings and took to the sky. Rex could barely see her under the sun, until she dive-bombed his Gilasaurus, slicing right through it with her claws. Gilasaurus shattered and Rex's Life Points dropped to 3800.

"I'll lay a card face down and it's back to you!"

Rex didn't move a muscle. He couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes. Was she mocking him?

"Uh…Rex?"

Rex still wouldn't respond. He was furious. His left eye was twitching. A vein pulsed under his hat as he was thought of many different ways to hurt her Harpie Lady.

"So do you not want me to be your date?"

Rex snapped back into reality. His eye was still twitching. "Sorry. I have a lot of bad history with that monster."

Ichigo put her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm sort of in a hurry. If you don't make a move now…"

"All right, all right," Rex said, drawing a card from his deck, nearly ripping it in anger. "I'll play Gagagigo (1850/1000) in Attack mode!"

Rex's monster was an average-sized reptilian warrior with cloth coverings on its arms and legs, as well as an armored shoulder plate.

"Now attack, Gagagigo! Tear her apart!"

Gagagigo roared as it slaughtered Harpie Lady 1, ripping her apart with its claws.

"How's that?" Rex yelled triumphantly as Ichigo's Life Points dropped to 3750.

"Mmm…you're not bad," Ichigo said, "but this duel has just started. So I activate my trap, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast!"

"Huh? Argh!" A strong gust of wind kicked up from out of nowhere as Gagagigo was literally blown off the field, in a similar manner of Team Rocket blasting off. "What did you do?!"

"To activate my trap," Ichigo explained, "I needed to discard one card from my hand, first. Then your monster returns to the top of your deck."

Rex took his Gagagigo card and added it to his deck. "I guess I end my turn."

"Good. My move." Ichigo drew another card from her deck. "I play Birdface (1600/1600) in Attack mode!" Birdface appeared on the field. It had the face of a canary with a short horn on its forehead, a majestic pair of wings, and wore some sort of blue armor on its torso. "But I'm not done. I activate the Equip spell, Follow Wind, to increase my Birdface's attack by 300 points!"

Birdface's wings turn green as a violet scarf wraps around its neck, flowing in the wind, increasing its attack points to 1900.

"Birdface, attack his Uraby! Raging Whirlwind!"

Birdface flapped its wings hard and let loose a whirlwind which easily shredded Rex's Uraby, taking his Life Points down to 3400. "Gimme a break."

"I'll end with a face down card."

"Fine." Rex drew his Gagagigo from his deck. "I play Two-Headed King Rex (1600/1200) in Attack mode!" Two-Headed King Rex is successfully summoned to the field, letting out a gruesome roar. "But I'm not stopping there. I also play the Spell, Polymerization! So I fuse my King Rex with the Crawling Dragon #2 in my hand to summon Bracchio-Radius (2200/2000)!"

The earth shook as Bracchio-Radius made its presence known. It was a huge blue quadraped monster with a long neck and tail, resembling an Apatosaurus (or Brontosaurus, whatever you like).

"Now, Bracchio-Radius, atta-" But before Rex could finish, his monster was already gone. Rex's eye twitched as he looked around frantically for his monster. "Where'd he go?!"

"Look down, Rex!" Ichigo said.

Rex looked down and saw Bracchio-Radius stuck in a huge pit. "What have you done?!"

"I activated my trap card, that's all." Ichigo said, pointing to her card. "It's Trap Hole! And your dinosaur is ancient history!"

The hole in the ground sealed up with Bracchio-Radius buried in Rex's Graveyard.

"Aw, man." Rex scowled as he looked over his hand. "I'll lay two cards face down and end my turn."

"Thought so," Ichigo drew another card. "I play Harpie Girl (500/500) in Defense Mode!"

The monster Ichigo summoned looked a lot like her Harpie Lady, but it was much smaller, had pink wings instead of green, and long blonde hair. She folded her arms as she stood next to Birdface.

"Now, Birdface, attack!"

"Don't think so!" Rex shouted, raising one of his cards. "Here's my Threatening Roar Trap! This little number forces you to skip your battle phase!"

"Umm…I guess that's fine," Ichigo said, shrugging. "It's back to you, then."

Rex draws. "I'll activate my Jar of Greed trap! This lets me draw one extra card. Then I'll set a monster in Defense mode and call it a turn."

"My move, then." Ichigo draws. "I'll summon Harpie Lady 2 (1300/1400) in Attack Mode!" Ichigo summoned another Harpie Lady, this one with short orange hair. "Better hope that's not a flip effect monster, because if my Harpie 2 attacks it, its effect is negated."

Rex narrowed his eyes.

"Harpie Lady 2, attack! Harpie Claw Slash!"

Just like before, Harpie Lady 2 took to the sky and dive-bombed Rex's face down monster. However, just as Rex's monster was revealed, one of Harpie Lady's claws broke. Ichigo gasped in shock as she saw Rex's monster: a giant warrior made entirely of stone.

"Aww, what's wrong?" Rex said, mockingly. "Did she break a nail? That's what she gets for jumping the gun on my Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000)."

Ichigo chewed on the tip of her thumb as her Life Points dropped to 3050. "I guess I end my turn."

"That's fine by me." Rex draws. "I play the spell card, Graceful Charity! So I draw three more cards and discard two from my hand. Then, I'll sacrifice my Soldier of Stone to summon my Big Tusked Mammoth (2000/1000)!"

Rex's monster was a giant purple mammoth creature with long, hard tusks. It stomped the earth and let out a loud trumpeting noise.

"Oh, and my Mammoth has a cool special ability," Rex continued. "Whenever you summon a monster by any means, it can't attack on the same turn it's summoned!"

"Th-that doesn't bother me," Ichigo said. The slight confidence drop was evident in her tone of voice.

"No, but this will!" Rex shouted. "Big Tusked Mammoth, attack her Birdface (1900)!"

Big Tusked Mammoth charged over to Birdface, who immediately tried to fly away. But Mammoth caught its leg with its trunk and slammed it into the ground.

"Brutal."

Ichigo's Life Points dropped to 2950. "Birdface's special ability activates. Whenever it's destroyed in battle, I can add an extra Harpie Lady card to my hand. And I choose my Harpie Lady 3!"

"Whatever," Rex said, shrugging. "I'll end my turn with a face down card."

"Good." Ichigo draws. _Because of that Mammoth, I can't attack him just yet. But I can think of other ways to get under his skin. He seems to hold some kind of grudge against my Harpies..._ "First, I play Harpie Lady 3 (1300/1400), in attack mode!" Ichigo summons a third Harpie, this one with spiked blue hair. "And as you may guess, she has a unique power too. Any monster that battles with Harpie Lady 3 won't be able to declare an attack for the next two turns."

Rex was stunned. "What?! You–"

"I'll also play the spell, Elegant Egotist! Now, Harpie Lady 2 transforms into Harpie Lady Sisters!"

Harpie Lady two takes to the sky, covered in an elegant light. Soon the light splits into three and dissipates as three Harpies take to the field.

"If you thought my Harpie Ladies were bad, they're even worse all together (1950/2100). But because of your Mammoth's ability, I can't attack you. So I'll set two cards face down and let you off the hook for now."

"I figured you'd say that. My move!" Rex draws. _Cool!_ "I'll summon Element Saurus (1500/1200) in Attack Mode!" Element Saurus takes to the field once again. And I'll equip it with my Raise Body Heat spell card! Now, my Saurus' attack increases by 300 points (1800). I also activate my face down card, Call of the Haunted! So I can bring back a monster from my Graveyard! And I choose my Black Tyranno (2600/1800)!"

From below the ground, emerged a huge black Tyrannosaurus with spiked ridges on its shoulders. It let out a gruesome roar, baring its fangs.

"Impressive, ain't he?"

"I won't allow it!" Ichigo shouted, raising a face down card. "I activate the trap, Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi! So I tribute my little Harpie Girl and send your Mammoth back to the bottom of your deck!"

Rex growled as he took his Mammoth from his duel disk and added it back to his deck. "I'm still going to crush you! Element Saurus, attack her Harpie Lady 3!" Element Saurus roared as it plowed right through Harpie Lady 3, dropping Ichigo's Life Points to 2550.

"Oh no!"

"I'm not done yet. Black Tyranno, attack those Harpie Lady Sisters!"

Black Tyranno stomped forward as the Harpies flew around, swarming it like a horde of hornets, but Tyranno swatted them down quick: #1 with its tail, #2 was stomped under its feet, and #3 became its first meal.

Ichigo chewed on her thumb again as her Life Points dropped to 1900. "Ohh…I screwed up! I should've returned Tyranno to your deck instead."

"Too late for that now," Rex said. "That's it for me."

Ichigo shook a little as she drew her next card. "Time to activate my face down card, Hysteric Party! Now, by discarding one card from my hand, I can Special Summon as many Harpie Ladies as I can from my Graveyard!"

"Huh?"

Harpie Lady 1, 2, and 3 returned to the field, all in Defense mode (1400, 1400, 1400). "And the best part is, it's a continuous trap, so if you destroy one of my Harpies, I can just bring it back again! And with that, I end my turn."

"Big deal." Rex draws. "Oh, and by the way, as long as all your monsters are in Defense mode, my Black Tyranno can attack you directly!"

"W-What?!"

"He's not exactly big on cowardly defenders," Rex said, "but enough about that! Black Tyranno! Attack her head on!"

Ichigo stammered a bit as Black Tyranno came charging straight for her, leaping over her Harpies and laying down a hard stomp. The holograms disappeared, revealing Ichigo spread-eagled on her back with thick spirals in her eyes (Life Points: 0).

"…Maybe that was a little much," Rex said to himself, before running over to her. "Hey, Ichigo! Are you all right?"

Ichigo blinked before looking up at Rex. Her eyes then glazed off as she started talking to herself. "Why did I bother coming here? I'm not a duelist. A girl like me could never be a duelist."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a horrible duelist. But I thought I could be strong like her. Like Mai."

"Huh?!"

"Mai Valentine is my idol. And I thought if I could copy her deck, I could be strong like her. But I'm not."

And as she rambled on, she didn't notice that Rex was grinding his teeth.

"My heart is just not in it. I can't duel…"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"

Ichigo's eyes widened. Did he just tell her to…?

"Okay, so you lost one duel. Big deal! I've lost tons of duels but you don't hear me complaining (Even though it does tick me off)! So do what I do, get back on your feet, and keep moving!"

Ichigo continued to stare at him in shock. She closed her eyes, got up and smiled sweetly. "Rex…"

Rex put his hands in his pocket and nodded. _Yup. I'm such a sensitive guy._

SMACK!

And without warning, Ichigo slapped him right in the face. "Don't you _ever_ tell me to shut up!"

Rex stared at her in frustration as he rubbed the red handprint on his face.

"But I will take your advice," Ichigo continued. "I will become a stronger duelist and challenge you again and I will beat you!"

"Humph. Whatever you say, babe," Rex said.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dance to prepare for. Pick me up at six!"

Ichigo deactivated her Duel Disk and flipped a lock of pink hair out of her face, mumbling about what she was going to wear. Rex put his hands behind his head and strolled back to the Red Dorm. He could just barely contain his laughter behind a strained smile.

Meanwhile, just outside the Slifer Red Dorm…

Syrus, Bastion, and Chazz were watching as Blair was hopelessly trying to teach Jaden how to dance. So far, Jaden had accidentally stepped on Blair's toes three times.

"I'm sorry, Blair but I told you before, I can't dance! No matter how much I try!"

"It's no big deal, Jaden," Blair responded, rubbing her foot again. "You've just never had anyone to teach you. Now, put your arms around me and let's try it again."

"I'm gonna go get some popcorn," Chazz said, heading back inside.

"Butter's in the fridge!" Syrus said, following him.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Jaden sounded like he was crying.

* * *

Duo-san: Poor guy. This time I've got a special guest doing the previews. Heeeeeere's Hassleberry!

Hassleberry: TEN-HUT! Salutations, troops! This is Sgt. Tyranno Hassleberry, reporting for duty for the next preview! Now, in case you're wondering how exactly Rex summoned that Black Tyranno, it's simple! He sent it to the graveyard with his Graceful Charity spell. That's some duelin'!

Rex: Who the heck are you?! You're not even in this fic!

Hassleberry: DID I SAY YOU COULD TALK, PRIVATE?! DROP AND GIMME 20!

Rex: Drop and gimme a break.

Duo-san: The next chapter is called: **Last Minute Preparations**

Hassleberry: AND YOU CALL THAT A TITLE?!

* * *

Well, I guess it's time to introduce my next OC.

Name: Ichigo June

Age: 15

Eyes: Bluish-gray

Hair: Pink with white berets

Class: Ra Yellow Freshman

Deck: Winged-Beast

After receiving a Duel Disk for her 10th birthday, Ichigo decided to test it on a teenage boy who lived across the street. Not only did she lose the duel, but to make things worse, the boy took one of her cards, ripped it in half, and told her she couldn't duel in a million years. She had suffered with that trauma for two months, until a certain fateful day. That's when she met an attractive blonde woman who handed her a certain card...  
Ichigo's dueling style is solely based on the abilities of her Harpie Ladies as well as keeping her opponent from summoning more monsters. She's a decent duelist, but she tends to make childish mistakes when she starts to feel overwhelmed such as when she returned Rex's Mammoth instead of his Black Tyranno.


	19. Last Minute Preparations

All right. I've done some research on and yes, you guys got me. Trap Hole doesn't work on a Fusion Summoning. But let me explain. I've been playing Bottomless Trap Hole in my usual deck for so long that I got the two mixed up. Bottomless Trap Hole works on Fusion and Special summonings and regular Trap Hole doesn't. As for Hallowed Life Barrier, it works like this. Discard one card from your hand, and the damage you take becomes zero. Whether or not that saves your monster, I can't remember. This is a reminder to you budding fanfic authors out there that we can't _all_ be perfect. ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

* * *

Chapter 19 – Last Minute Preparations

5:30 p.m. The night of the Academy Homecoming Dance has finally arrived and the students are trying desperately hard to squeeze in some last minute preparations. Fancy dress was not mandatory, but still recommended. This was especially a problem in Slifer Red dorm. Jaden, who didn't have much nice clothes, decided to settle on a plain white dress shirt, tight black jeans, and a tacky Coca Cola tie. Chazz, who figured he'd look good in just about anything, decided just to wear his black uniform (only this time, he decided to break tradition and wash the darn thing). Even Ojama Yellow decided to get into the spirit by wearing a red bowtie. There was only one problem.

"This is bad, boss!" Ojama Yellow shouted, tearfully. "I don't have a date either!"

"What do you mean, 'either'?" Chazz asked, straightening his collar in front of a mirror he brought over himself. "Of course you don't have a date. You're nowhere near as good-looking as I am."

"Huh? You mean you have a date, boss?"

"Of course. I'm going with Jasmine. And Bastion's going with Mindy."

"What about Alexis? I know you asked her out, right?"

"Uh…"

_I'm already going with Mokuba. He was so nice I just couldn't refuse. Besides, I wouldn't go anywhere with you anyway._

Chazz's left eye twitched. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What's the matter, boss? She give you the cold shoulder again?"

"I SAID I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!"

Weevil and Rex stared at Chazz with sweatdrops on the backs of their heads. From their point of view, it looked like Chazz was talking to himself.

"I don't think I'll ever understand this spirit stuff," Weevil said, tightening his own red bowtie.

"I don't think I can understand why you're still wearing that tacky thing!" Rex said, disgusted with Weevil's trademark lime green tuxedo.

"When you find a look that works, you've got to show it off, Rex," Weevil said, smugly. "Personally, I still can't believe this thing still fits me! In any case, it's better than what you're wearing…or lack thereof."

Rex, as it turned out, didn't have _anything_ nice to wear, so he just settled on his Slifer Red jacket, but like Chazz, he also took the time to wash it as well. However, he decided to leave his hat at the dorms and smooth out his hair just a little bit.

"Like you said, Weevil, find a look that works," Rex said, even more smugly. "And I really do make this jacket look good! And on that note, I'm outta here."

"What was your date's name again?"

"Ichigo June," Rex answered. "You know her. She's the one who's all chummy with Kaiba's brother. Later."

After Rex closed the door a thought came to Chazz's mind. "I gotta go pick up Jasmine, too. We'll talk about this later, you little scrub."

"You're just jealous," Ojama Yellow whined. "You know I'm way better looking than you!"

Chazz laughed his butt off as he slammed the door in Yellow's face, sending him tumbling back. "You better not be leaving me behind!" Ojama Yellow squeezed under and out the door.

Meanwhile, at the Obelisk Blue Girls' dorm…

Tensions were high, as well as the smells of various perfumes, as the girls spent every waking minute sprucing themselves up.

"I'm still totally jealous, Alexis," a girl with short brown hair in a strapless red dress (Jasmine) said. "How did you get Seto Kaiba's brother to go with you?"

"I told you before," Alexis responded with a tinge of irritation, which also seemed to stem from getting her zipper on the back of her silvery white dress to zip up, "he asked me first. He was just so nice to me. I couldn't say no. And his _name_ is Mokuba, thank you."

"Well you could've gone with someone in your year," a girl with black hair tied in a ponytail (Mindy) responded. She decided to wear a green dress with white trim as well as a pearl necklace. "I'm sure Jaden Yuki wouldn't have…"

"Would you give that a rest already?!" Alexis snapped. "I told you before, we're just friends and that's that. Besides, you both know Blair's practically got a leash on the poor guy."

"Yeah, but you still could've give the freshmen girls a break," Mindy continued, unfazed by Alexis' sudden outburst, "right, Sara?"

Of course, Sara didn't respond. She simply lay back on her bed, with her hands under her head, staring into space. The girls stared at her while Alexis pulled on a pair of long silk gloves to match her dress, keeping their confusion hidden.

"Earth to Sara!" Mindy said, rudely.

But Sara simply shrugged and said, "I don't care."

Mindy was starting to get frustrated when a snatch of voices was heard downstairs.

"Oh, you're here to pick up your dates, boys?"

"Yes, Ms. Fontaine."

"All right, wait right here and I'll go and get them."

But there was no need to wait. Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy had already scrambled out of their room and went downstairs. They each let out an earsplitting fangirl-type squeal as they met their dates (Yes, even Alexis). As mentioned before, Chazz decided to stick with his black coat, but enough about him. Bastion wore a navy blue suit and tie that looked like it should be worn on a business trip. In an effort to straighten himself up, Mokuba tied back his hair in a ponytail and settled on a white uniform that Seto Kaiba once wore when he was his age.

After the girls went downstairs, Sara sat up and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt something in her eye and tried to rub it out with her finger. But as she did, she noticed her eyeshadow had smudged on her finger. She looked at herself again and pulled off the rubber bands holding up her pigtails…

Meanwhile, over at the Ra Dorms…

The door to Ichigo's room opened. Rex stared at her with a raised eyebrow as she was still wearing her Ra Yellow uniform. "Wow. You look…uh…"

"Don't say it, Rex," Ichigo warned him. "I don't like wearing skimpy dresses like those Obelisk girls, okay? I have an image to uphold."

"Actually," Rex said, scratching his head, "I was just gonna agree with you."

"Oh," Ichigo said in surprise. "All righty then."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yup! Come on!" Ichigo grabbed Rex by the arm and practically dragged him away from the Ra Dorms.

* * *

Wesley: ...In the next chapter...Uh...I don't think I can do this.

Rex: WHAT?! You wait until _now_ to tell us?!

Duo-san: Settle down, you two. The next chapter is called: **The Homecoming Dance.**


	20. The Homecoming Dance

Aaaaaand it's fun time! For those of you who read this on Gaia already, you'll notice I added a few extra bits in this particular chapter. I call this...

Chapter 20 – The Homecoming Dance: Special Edition!

The dance took place at the Academy Main Hall. Along the walls, there were several tables lined with refreshments and a punch bowl just waiting to be spiked. From the ceiling hung a giant disco ball which reflected many tiny dots of light around the entire area. Several students had already arrived early, including Syrus and Missy. Syrus wore an ash gray suit with a yellow necktie he frequently had to adjust because he wasn't used to wearing ties. Missy settled on a two-toned black and white strapless dress, matching long gloves, and a pair of golden hoop earrings. She seemed to be more than a little miffed about the whole thing, as she kept her arms folded and kept tapping her black high-heel. It wasn't long before they met up with Jaden and Blair, who wore a bright yellow dress with a sunflower brooch at the base of her left shoulder.

"Hey guys! Are we the only ones here?" Blair asked.

"Not really," Syrus answered. "Most of the teachers are here already to supervise us."

"That's what puts a damper on the whole thing," Missy said nonchalantly.

True to Sy's word, there they were. Chancellor Sheppard, strangely enough, was here with Miss Dorothy, the owner of the card shop, who also wore a stunning red dress and had her hair tied up in a bun. Dr. Crowler and Ms. Fontaine (the Obelisk girls' dorm headmistress) were both on PDA duty. PDA, of course, meaning "public display of affection."

"We won't be having any of that in this fair school," Dr. Crowler said with a huff. "Not on my watch."

"Oh come now, Doctor," Autumn said, having just arrived with Professor Satyr, the head of the Ra Dorm. Once again, she was wearing her red jacket on her back, which seemed to clash with her black sequined dress. "Part of being a teenager is about having a little fun. I'm sure you haven't forgotten what it's like to be sixteen, hmm?"

At this point Dr. Crowler folded his arms as he recalled a memory of a greasy blond-haired boy getting beat up by a bunch of teenage girls. Dr. Crowler stood stiff, shaking feverishly as Ms. Fontaine put her hand on his head.

"I think he's gone into shock."

"Oh brother," Autumn said as she pushed up her glasses.

In about less than an hour, the other students had arrived. Rex and Ichigo were surprisingly the only ones getting the most looky-loos because neither one of them decided to dress formally. Rex felt a vein pulse on his forehead as he glanced at the other students.

"Tough crowd," said Rex.

While everyone was waiting for the dance to start, Bastion was engaged in conversation with his date, Mindy…well, sort of. He'd been talking about an article in an earlier issue of _Popular Science_ magazine, concerning Dr. Eisenstein's latest achievement. It had taken her exactly 20 seconds for her to get bored and slump forward to fall asleep on him. Bastion, of course, was at a loss for words, but he put his hand on her shoulder anyway.

"…Unbelievable."

Chazz and Jasmine, though trying to do their best to enjoy each other's company, just couldn't stop glancing over at Mokuba and Alexis, who were in conversation about each other's lives outside of Duel Academy. Alexis laughed when Mokuba told her about the time he hid his brother's Blue Eyes White Dragons separately. She immediately stopped laughing, however, when he told her what happened _after_ he found them. Use your imagination.

Dalton and Wesley, of course, couldn't get dates whatsoever: Dalton, for obvious reasons and Wesley, because he volunteered to DJ for the dance. Let's move on. Weevil was the last to arrive. He looked rather proud as his snot green, I mean _lime_ green tuxedo turned quite a few heads at the floor. But he didn't realize that those heads were turning for a different reason.

"Sweet cheesecake, look at that thing!"

"Is that supposed to be fashion?"

"Man, that's ugly."

Of course, Weevil was being so smug as usual. He wasn't listening to any of it. _They're so jealous. They only __wished__ they looked this good._ However, Weevil's expression wasn't fooling anyone. On the inside, he was beyond disappointed that he was one of the few who couldn't get a date.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Chancellor Sheppard suddenly said through a microphone, "welcome to the Duel Academy Homecoming Dance. Now, as much as I would encourage the interaction between students, I will ask you kindly to keep it clean. Once again, we have Dr. Crowler and Ms. Fontaine on PDA duty." Many of the students groaned at this comment. "I assure you I had no say in this whatsoever. Now, grab your partners and let's have some fun!"

Without a word, Wesley placed a record on the turntable and played the first song, which was _Dance With Me_, by Debelah Morgan. At the first note, the students immediately made their way to the dance floor (Bastion with some difficulty because he was having trouble waking up his date). Jaden was concentrating hard on not tripping over his feet, and even more so on not tripping over Blair's feet. Blair, however, seemed to be enjoying herself; she was beaming at everyone, steering Jaden forcefully. It was no wonder he couldn't dance, because she wouldn't _let_ him. Chazz and Jasmine were barely concentrating on each other. They were too busy staring enviously at Mokuba and Alexis, respectively, who in contrast were actually having a good time. Despite the difference in height (Alexis is a little taller), Mokuba and Alexis were doing a fine cha-cha variation.

_Little punk thinks he's so cool,_ Chazz thought.

_I still can't believe you, Alexis_, Jasmine thought.

Chancellor Sheppard was doing a rather ungainly two step with Miss Dorothy, who seemed to be having the time of her life. This was cut short, however, as Rex and Ichigo were dancing so erratically that many students and teachers alike had to back away to keep from getting injured.

"You really like this song, don't you?" Rex asked.

"It's my favorite!" Ichigo replied, joyfully.

After another minute, the song eventually faded and Wesley switched to a slower song: _You Don't Know My Name_ by Alicia Keys. The students drew closer to each other and Bastion finally managed to wake up Mindy, who let out a big yawn. Classy. Even Missy allowed Syrus to put his hands around her waist, which surprised Syrus beyond belief.

"Missy?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, pipsqueak," Missy said with a slight huff. Syrus noticed she wouldn't make eye contact with him. "You're still no Zane, but…you're better than nothing."

Syrus sighed as he rested his head against her chest. "I was wrong about you, Missy. You're a real doll."

Missy narrowed her eyes. "Just don't get too attached. As soon as the dance is over, we're done."

"I doubt that." Syrus grinned widely. "Even if you did lose, you would never have agreed to come with me under any other circumstances. So just admit it. You like me, don't you?"

This comment caused Missy to stop moving. She put on a strained smile and started to grind her knuckles into Syrus' head. "What was that?! I didn't quite hear you!"

"Okay, okay! I'll stop talking about it!" Syrus said, desperately trying not to cry.

"Good boy." Missy put her hands back around his neck.

Meanwhile…

"Thanks for coming with me, Alexis," Mokuba said with his arms around her waist as well. "It was really cool of you."

"Uh-huh…" Alexis responded. She wasn't exactly paying attention to Mokuba. While her body moved to the music, her eyes were watching Jaden and Blair fall over for the second time during the dance. He truly was hopeless. But Alexis wasn't the only one watching him. Neglecting her PDA duties, Professor Autumn kept a close eye on Alexis from the sidelines. She couldn't help but notice how Alexis giggled when Jaden tripped over Blair's feet ("I think I twisted my ankle that time," Jaden said).

"Hmm…"

The professor's eyes then shifted over to Weevil Underwood, who was looking exceptionally disgruntled as he sat alone at a table and moved his foot to the music. The entirety of the dance floor barely reflected off of Weevil's glasses. _This sucks. Coming here was a bad idea after all. No one will miss me if I leave right now._

_Maybe I should dance with him, _Autumn thought to herself. _I could at least humor the boy. Hmm?_ Autumn's train of thought, however, was interrupted when a girl approached Weevil and tapped him on the shoulder.

_On second thought, perhaps she could do better, _the good Professor thought as she drank some of her punch. _Hmm…this doesn't taste right…_

"Yeah, what?! Huh?" Weevil was just about to tell off whomever it was, but stopped when he saw her: a slender girl about his own height with pale blue eyes and reddish-brown hair which seemed to reach a little below her waist. She wore a dress that was a deep shade of brown with a white sash over her right shoulder and under her left arm, as well as fishnet stockings on her legs.

"Hello," the girl said.

"Uh…" Weevil was dumbfounded. Who was this girl?

She smiled warmly at him. "You don't recognize me without my makeup, do you?"

After figuring out who the girl was, Weevil had a hard time getting his jaw off the floor. "Y-you're…?!"

"So do you want to dance or not?"

Weevil was having a hard time getting his jaw back in place. "I…uh…sure."

The girl took Weevil's hand and led him out to the dance floor. She put his right hand on her waist and his left hand in her right. As they slowly swayed to the music, neither one of them took their eyes off the other, but that didn't stop Weevil from slightly blushing.

"What are you doing this for?" Weevil asked. "I thought you hated me."

"First of all," the girl said, her warm smile gone, and her eyes suddenly cold as ice, "I'm dancing with you because no one else will." She moved closer to him and whispered into his ear, "Second, I wanted to tell you that the next time we duel, I won't forfeit and let you take the easy way out. The next time we duel, I will crush you like the insect you are."

Weevil narrowed his eyes, but the girl smiled at him again. "But in the meantime, why don't we just enjoy ourselves? After all, that's what this dance is about."

Weevil closed his eyes and held her closer, resting his head on her shoulder. He was grateful she couldn't see him blushing. But what she also didn't see was what Weevil's eyes widened to. Weevil rubbed his eyes with his free hand, but he wasn't seeing wrong. The transparent form of Prickle Fairy was dancing with none other than Ojama Yellow.

"So tell me about yourself, gorgeous," Yellow said.

Prickle Fairy smiled and giggled, causing Weevil's eye to twitch. _This is going to be a long night._

The music continued into the night for another two hours as the evening moon reflected upon the ocean surrounding Academy Island.

"Hey, you two! Cut that out!" Dr. Crowler yelled.

"Lighten up. We're just having a little fun!" Chazz replied.

* * *

Duo-san: By the way, the bits about Dr. Crowler and Mokuba hiding the Blue Eyes were just made-up memories. I personally thought they were funny. Especially Crowler's!

Crowler: You should count yourself lucky you're not a student here. Now go on with the next preview! Hurry, hurry!

Duo-san: All right, all right! Geez...according to this, the new shipment of rare cards will arrive soon and...

Weevil/Rex: Did you say rare cards?!

Jaden: Haven't we done this before?

Duo-san: I know, but this time I'm making it a little different.

Weevil/Rex: RARE CARDS?!

Duo-san: Ahem! The next chapter is called **Madness Stems from Examinations**

Weevil/Rex: **RARE CARDS?!**

Duo-san: SHUT UP!!!


	21. Madness Stems from Examinations

Chapter 21 – Madness Stems From Examinations

About a month after the dance, a ship is seen heading towards Duel Academy. No. Scratch that. Make that a whole fleet of ships and at least four helicopters! What on earth is going on to send an entire naval fleet to Duel Academy?

"Five minutes, class."

It's exam time at Duel Academy. We all know how it goes. The first part of the exam is the written test. Supervising the class was Professor Autumn, who had an icepack on her head. Somehow, she'd gotten a hangover from the spiked punch bowl and the rest is history. As you know, at high school dances, it's called "punch" for a reason. But enough about that. Once again, Jaden was "gracious" enough to sleep through this test, but what was surprising was that he actually wrote something on his exam this year: _his name._ Syrus, however, was doing exceptionally well. He's actually grinding through his test on a near-equal caliber with Bastion Misawa. Chazz, however, spent half the time chewing on his pencil.

_Those slackers are starting to rub off on me! _Chazz thought to himself.

Alexis, of course, was going through her test swimmingly, as well as Sara Sanderling, who was wearing her black makeup again, but decided to keep her hair let down for the time being. As for Weevil and Rex…well…

_I can't believe this is happening to me! _Weevil thought in frustration, jamming his eraser against his skull. _How could I forget that much?!_

_This is a nightmare! _Rex also thought in frustration, snapping his third pencil in half. _This can't be happening!_

...they could be doing worse.

Ichigo watched the two of them writhing in frustration. She put her head on her hand as she tapped her pencil on her test paper. _I wish I could've sat closer. Maybe then I could share my answers. Wait, why am I thinking like this? I mean, I don't even care about them. Oh…I hope Mokuba is doing okay._

Mokuba was in another class, which was being examined by Dr. Crowler. Poor guy. But enough about him. The class we are watching is currently being monitored by Prof. Autumn who was currently reviewing last week's assignments. There were now three minutes ticking down on an egg timer on her desk. Tensions were high this year as, for the practical dueling exam, the restriction on pitting same class students against each other was removed. Now, Obelisks, Ras, and Slifers will be able to duel against each other in…well…one wouldn't call it _perfect_ harmony, but it would still be the only test that Jaden Yuki would actually be looking forward to.

BRRRRRRING!!

"Time's up. Papers down," Prof. Autumn said, wincing before she turned off her egg timer. Weevil and Rex were actually shedding exasperated tears.

"Now, before you move on to your practical exam," Autumn added cautiously, "I would like to remind you to stop at the Academy Card Shack, as the new shipment of rare cards has just arrived."

At that moment, Weevil and Rex immediately stopped crying. It looked as though their tears were actually sucked back into their ducts. _Did she say…?!_

"The rare cards are here?!" a random Ra student asked in excitement.

"Uh-oh."

Everyone charged out of the room in a mad dash to get to the card shack. The only ones who weren't in a rush were Jaden, who was still fast asleep, and Sara, who didn't really care much (she would just have her Wesley and Dalton gather cards for her). Professor Autumn got up from her chair and nudged Jaden's shoulder to wake him up. Jaden let out a big yawn and stretched his arms.

"Whoo…boy, that was some test…" Jaden sweatdropped as he noticed the entire room was almost empty. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, if you had been listening, Mr. Yuki," Autumn said, "you would've heard that everyone had gone to the card shack for the new rare card shipment. You should hurry if you want to get yours."

"Oh! Right!" Jaden gout out of his seat and ran out of the room. And wouldn't you know it, halfway to the card shack, he got himself shoved out of the way by an Obelisk student…

"Obelisks, first!"

…a Ra student…

"Ras, second!"

…and Chazz actually shoved him to the floor.

"And slackers, last!"

Of course, Jaden was having none of that. He got back on his feet and scowled.

"Of course you know, Chazz," Jaden muttered to himself, "this means war!"

Eventually, Jaden made it to the card shack and everyone had already left with their share of rare cards, including Syrus. Everyone, of course, except you-know-who. Weevil and Rex were sitting in a corner, mumbling in total gloom and doom.

"How the heck did we get last when we got up ahead of everyone else?" Weevil asked Rex.

"Everyone's always so pushy," Rex answered. "We'll just have to get there before everyone else next time."

"Don't be so down, guys!"

Weevil and Rex looked up and saw Jaden grinning widely at them. The two scowled at him.

"What do you want?" Weevil asked, bluntly.

"It's not what I want," Jaden said. "It's what _you_ want. I know you're tapped for rare cards, but I know someone who's always willing to hook me up."

"Huh?" Weevil and Rex blinked.

"Just wait here."

The boys watched as Jaden walked up the counter and addressed a pretty woman in overalls with her grayish black hair tied in a ponytail.

"Excuse me, Sadie? Is Dorothy in today?"

"I'm sorry, Jaden," Sadie replied, "but after the dance, Dorothy got sick with the flu, so she's put me in charge."

"Oh," Jaden said, looking a little disappointed, "I'm sorry to hear that. Well, do you have any rare cards left?"

"No," Sadie said with a shrug, "but we do still have the standard booster packs."

"All right," Jaden said, putting some money on the counter. "I'll take three."

Sadie handed him three small booster packs wrapped in shiny blue and green foil. "Thank you very much, Jaden!"

Jaden walked back to Weevil and Rex, who awaited him with eager eyes.

"Well?!"

"Well…I couldn't score you guys any rare cards," Jaden said sheepishly, causing the boys to hit the floor. "But I did get each of us a booster pack."

Weevil and Rex glanced at each other before Rex replied, "I guess we'll take those."

"Okay, so that's one for you…one for you…and one for me!" Jaden said, handing a booster pack to Weevil, Rex and…well…himself, respectively, before running off. "Good luck on the practicals!"

Weevil and Rex glanced at each other before walking away from the card shack.

"There's something wrong with that Jaden kid," Weevil said.

"I know," Rex agreed. "He's so…_happy._"

The boys both ripped open their booster packs (Weevil, doing so more carefully) and took out the nine cards inside each of them.

* * *

Duo-san: And that's it. 

Rex: That's it?! The fic's over?!

Duo-san: No, I mean the chapter! Sheesh.

Weevil: Well, what happens next?

Duo-san: Basically, in the next chapter, rosters are posted in the dorms to see whom everyone's dueling for the practicals. And it looks like Jaden's going first!

Jaden: About time! So what's this one called?

Duo-san: Um...actually, I forgot the title!

Everyone:crashes to the floor:

Duo-san:sweatdrop:


	22. Let's Get Started! The Exam Duels Begin!

Sorry, this one's a short one, but I promise the upcoming duels will make up for it. By the way, yes, I have screwed up again. But let me explain. In my original version, Professor Autumn didn't really have a hangover. In fact, she didn't even try any punch. But I had the idea bouncing in my head and just had to throw it in for the revision. And for the record, yes, Hallowed Life Barrier does work like Waboku. I found out myself while playing Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Edition 2007 on my DS. So there. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 22 – Let's Get Started! The Examiations Begin!

"Attention, students!" Sheppard's voice boomed over the PA. "Your exam duels will take place all around the island. A proctor from the entrance exams as well as our distinguished teachers will watch each of your duels. And just so you know who you're dueling, there will be a special notice board posted at each of your respective dorms. Oh, and before I forget, remember to get your duels finished by the end of the day."

"And as a reminder," Dr. Crowler interrupted on the PA, "the staff break room is _still off limits,_ so whoever has been stealing all my granola bars had better quit stuffing his face, or I'll–" Dr. Crowler's "announcement" was suddenly cut off. He was still completely unaware that it was Professor Satyr who's been stealing his granola bars. That's what he gets for stealing more screentime!

Back at the Slifer Red Dorm, the Slifer students were crowded around Professor Autumn's door, much to her dismay, as that's where the assigned duels were posted.

Jaden scanned the list carefully. "Huh? My opponent's Blair?!"

"YAY!!" Blair jumped Jaden from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just so you know, Jaden, I like you and all, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you!"

"Uh…yeah. Same here," Jaden said, letting a bead of sweat drop down his head.

"Looks like I'm dueling that weird Wesley guy," Chazz said, folding his arms.

Rex was having a hard time finding his name on the list. He eventually found his name next to Dimitri Kagurazaka, a Ra student.

Weevil's opponent was listed near the bottom of the list: Torrey Takadera.

Meanwhile, at Ra Dorm…

"So my opponent is Jerome Dalton, eh?" Bastion exclaimed after looking at the roster.

"He's a second year, isn't he Bastion?" Syrus asked.

"Yes, and I hear he uses a Beast deck," Bastion said, putting his hand to his chin. "Now, which deck should I use?"

"Let's see who I'm dueling," Mokuba said, looking down the board. "…Looks like a girl named Jasmine Makita." He remembered that was the girl who was giving him the eye during the dance. "Oh boy…" Mokuba put a hand to his head. This would be a long one.

"And I'm dueling…" Syrus said, putting his finger on the board, "…Alexis Rhodes?! Suddenly, I don't feel so good."

Obelisk Girls' dorm…

"I get to duel Mokuba!" Jasmine shouted, nearly jumping in the air with joy. "I'm so lucky!"

"I don't think I call that lucky, Jasmine," Alexis retorted. "Mokuba told me his deck is pretty close to Seto Kaiba's deck. Of course, he doesn't have the Blue Eyes White Dragons, but I still wouldn't take it easy on him."

"You're just jealous because_ I_ get to spend more time with him," Jasmine replied, sticking her tongue out at Alexis.

"Oh yeah. That's real mature. So who are you dueling, Mindy?"

"Ichigo June," Mindy replied. "She's that spastic girl who took that Rex kid to the dance."

"Rex took _her_," Sara replied quietly, eyeing her name next to Missy Kochou.

Obelisk Boys' dorm…

Torrey straightened his glasses. "Weevil Underwood, huh? Maybe I can ask him to join the séance club."

"You still going on about your lame club, Takadera?" Dalton said, folding his arms. "You and I both know that club was doomed from the start!"

"It was never doomed!" Torrey snapped. "We just didn't have enough information, that's all."

Rather than getting into the argument, Wesley mumbled something under his breath as he stared at his name next to Chazz Princeton.

Finally…

Jaden and Blair were set up to duel right in front of the Slifer Red Dorm. Blair stared at the ground while Jaden stared at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"We're dueling here?" Blair asked. "You're not going to take me somewhere more…romantic?"

Jaden cringed as she put emphasis on the last word. "I'd like to go somewhere else too, but this is where we've been assigned."

"He's right, you know." Sharon Autumn made her way onto the side of the field, holding a clipboard. "You both know my name. I will be your proctor for today. I want a good clean duel. And by that, I mean I want to see as many explosions as possible."

"Oh…oh well," Blair activated her duel disk. "Time to duel, sweetheart!"

Jaden activated his duel disk as well, smiling with a sweatdrop. "Get your game on…uh…cupcake!"

* * *

Duo-san: ...Cupcake?!

Jaden: Don't look at me like that! I needed a comeback, okay?!

Weevil: So what's next?

Duo-san: Well, the next chapter has a rather disturbing fluff scene right before the first duel.

Weevil: Huh? With who?!

Duo-san: You expect me to tell you? The next chapter is called **Beauty and the Bugs.**

Missy: Don't tell me it's me!

By the way, just so you can keep track, the exam duels will go like this.

Jaden - Blair

Chazz - Wesley

Rex - Dimitri

Weevil - Torrey

Syrus - Alexis

Bastion - Dalton

Sara - Missy

Mokuba - Jasmine

Mindy - Ichigo

Not necessarily in that order, though. Ja ne!


	23. Beauty and the Bugs

For these next few chapters, I'll just show a little of each duel at a time, much like that episode when the GX tournament started. Oh, and by the way, if you don't like the sight of blood and fluff at the same time, then skip this first part here.

Chapter 23 – Beauty and the Bugs

Sara made her way into the woods to meet her exam proctor. Surprisingly, he hasn't shown up yet, but someone else has. She noticed Weevil sitting in front of a tree, looking at his left hand. For some reason, it was all cut up and bleeding!

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked.

"I'm waiting for my opponent," Weevil responded grouchily.

"What happened to your hand?"

"If you must know, I cut my hand on those dumb thorns (how ironic). Actually, they've slashed up my entire left arm."

He was right. As Sara took a closer look, she could tell there were several small rips in the left sleeve of his jacket. She also looked beyond the tree to see a patch of many bramble vines.

"I'll still be able to duel," Weevil said, "but my hand hurts like crazy now. Grr…this sucks!"

Weevil suddenly snapped out of his rant as Sara kneeled right in front of him and held up his bloody hand. She stared at his hand as the blood slowly dripped from it, leaving a small red splotch on the grass. Weevil had no idea what this girl was thinking.

"I don't have any bandages, but…" Sara discontinued before she leaned forward and closed her lips over his index and middle fingers. This had caused Weevil to turn bright red and nearly jump back on his feet. He turned even redder when he felt her actually sucking the dripping blood from his hand. _What's with this girl?!_ Weevil thought to himself. _Is she a vampire? No, that can't be right. It's 12:30 in the afternoon! And…why do I suddenly care?_

Weevil let his perverted side completely take over. He leaned back on the tree and smiled as he felt something warm and moist slide between his bleeding fingers. Wait…was that her tongue?!

"Are we interrupting anything?!"

Missy and Torrey both arrived at the same time, just in time to witness the pleasant, yet at the same time unpleasant scene with Sara sucking the blood off Weevil's hand. Both of their left eyes were twitching uncontrollably, but not as much as both of Weevil's eyes. Sara, however, took Weevil's fingers from her mouth and stared at the two.

"This is not what you think," Sara said. "His hand was bleeding and I just didn't have any bandages."

"Is that why you used your tongue?" Missy asked with her trademark sadistic smile. "I had no idea you go for inchworms like him."

"Listen, I have no time for your games," Sara said, standing up and wiping the blood from her mouth. That cold look in her eyes was back with a vengeance. "Are we going to duel or not?"

"Don't get your pigtails in a knot," Missy said, knowing fully well that Sara hadn't had her pigtails up. "Our proctor told me to go look for you. We're supposed to meet him by the lighthouse."

Sara got back to her feet and followed Missy out of the forest, but not before glancing back at Weevil for a split second. But that split second was all Weevil needed to see her eyes. They didn't seem so cold as before. More like when she smiled at him during the dance.

"So," Torrey suddenly spoke up, interrupting Weevil's reverie, "what was it like?"

"You. Are. A. Freak!" Weevil shouted at Torrey in an accusatory tone.

"You're the one who was smiling," Torrey said, putting on his duel disk. "By the way, I have a favor I'd like to ask you. You see, some friends of mine are thinking of restarting our séance club."

Weevil blinked. "Séance club?"

"Yes," Torrey said, pushing up his glasses. "It's an after-school activity that some friends of mine and I have started. We deal with the communication and summoning of Duel Monster spirits, and not just the pictures on the cards."

"Hold on," Weevil said, putting up his hand. "I remember now. Jaden told me a group of Obelisk Blues had summoned the spirit of Jinzo at one point."

"Yeah, that was us," Torrey replied, scratching his head. "Back then, we had no idea what we were doing at the time. But this time will be different. We've actually done our homework and are ready to start over any time. Oh, speaking of homework, there's our proctor!"

Approaching them was a rather tall man in a yellow coat with graying black hair and a small pointed moustache. "Buenos dias, gentlemen. My name is Professor Satyr and I will be your proctor for the practical exam. I will be watching the two of you like a hawk for any disorderly conduct, comprendé?"

"Fine," Weevil said, adding a new card into his deck.

"No problem." Torrey's deck seemed to be just fine.

"You may begin when ready."

"Let's duel!" Both duelists Life Points were set to 4000.

Meanwhile, right outside the Obelisk Blue dorms…

"I told you before, I'd wanted to make this quick, Mr. Princeton," Wesley said, pushing up his sunglasses. "I have some…things to take care of."

The duel between Chazz and Wesley, which took place by the entrance to Duel Academy, was already underway. Dr. Crowler, being their proctor, seemed overjoyed at his student's progress. He was watching carefully for an excuse to fail Chazz, since technically, he's still a Slifer Red, despite the fact that he wears black.

Right now, Wesley was leading in Life Points (3800). On his field are two monsters: Shining Angel and Dancing Fairy as well as two Spell/Trap cards face down. Chazz currently has 1000 Life Points as well as Ojama Yellow, Black, and Green, all in Defense Mode and no cards face down. Lucky for Chazz, it's his turn.

"My move," Chazz drew a card from his deck. "And I couldn't ask for a better one! Now, I'm gonna take out your monsters with my spell card, Ojama Delta Hurricane! All right you scrubs," Chazz yelled at his Ojamas, "go and make yourselves useful!"

All three Ojamas leapt into the air, doing dramatic poses.

"YELLOW!"

"GREEN!"

"BLA-"

"I won't allow it." Wesley interrupted by lifting one of his face down cards. "This is my Magic Jammer trap. And as the name implies, I can negate the activation of your Hurricane, in exchange for one card from my hand. And I choose my Hysteric Fairy."

The Ojama Brothers banged heads with each other and crashed dramatically to the ground before getting back to their positions. Chazz merely brushed it off. "Pfft. I'll get you next turn."

"There will be no 'next turn' for you, Mr. Princeton." Wesley drew a card from his deck. "First, I'll activate my face down card, Zero Gravity. This allows me to switch the modes of all monsters on the field from Defense to Attack, and vice versa."

Both of Wesley's monsters switch to Defense Mode while the Ojamas switch to attack mode. All three of them cowered comically, as they all had zero attack points.

"What are we gonna do, boss?!" Black yelled.

"I can't go out like this!" Green yelled.

"I'm too young! And handsome!" Yellow screamed, almost crying.

"Will you three shut up?!" Chazz shouted. "Even if you do switch our monsters' modes, you can't switch your angels back."

"I don't need to," Wesley interrupted. "Right now, I have a level 8 monster in my hand I can summon by sacrificing one monster. By doing this, I have to send it to the Graveyard at the end of my turn. But that won't matter."

Chazz narrowed his eyes. His last chance to get back into Obelisk Blue was about to be blown out of the water. Wasn't there anything he could do?!

"I sacrifice my Shining Angel," Wesley continued as his angel disappeared, "in order to summon Majestic Mech – Goryu (2900/1800)."

From the sky, fell a giant mechanical monster clad in white and gold armor plating. It had a long tail and huge wings as well as a number of hooked hands and feet. The Ojamas cringed in fear.

"It's the end of the world!" Yellow screamed.

"Majestic Mech Goryu, attack Ojama Yellow with Cosmic Flux Blast." From the huge opening in Goryu's center, it fired a huge blast of light which seemed to completely overtake the field. When the light cleared, Chazz was on his back. His Life Points dropped to zero.

"Oh! Well done!" Dr. Crowler cheered as he made his way over to his student. "Of course, I never expected anything less from-"

"I think I hear my mother calling," Wesley interrupted as he made his way back inside the dorm. "I'll ask about my grades later."

Chazz grunted as he got back to his feet. "Rrr…I'm not done with you yet, you Elite Chump! I'll get back to Obelisk Blue if I have to claw my way back up!"

* * *

Duo-san: Allow me to explain. The scene with Sara and Weevil was inspired by a scene with Yashamaru and Little Gaara. But I decided to take it in a bit of a different direction. If anyone was disturbed, GOOD! So what did you think? 

Weevil: ...

Duo-san: Weevil?

Weevil: ... :faints:

Duo-san: That's what I thought. The next chapter is called: The War Rages On.


	24. The War Rages On

Okay, guys. I should've mentioned this earlier. I've done some research and it turns out that Hallowed Life Barrier _does_ keep your monsters safe. I found out after playing _Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Edition 2007_ on my DS (copyrighted by Konami and/or Nintendo). By the way, that creepy thing with Weevil and Sara? That'll be the last fluff scene for a good while.

Chapter 24 – The War Rages On

Down at the harbor, Syrus Truesdale wasn't shaking like a leaf like he normally does. The reason he was so content with himself was that his proctor, Ms. Fontaine, was here, but Alexis was not. He sat down at the edge of the dock and stared into the water.

"Maybe she got lost and can't find her way," Syrus said to himself. "Maybe she just didn't want to come for me…"

"Or maybe," A female voice rung out from behind Syrus, "it's because she knows that someone's talking behind her back."

Syrus' hair stood on end as he slowly turned around to face his opponent. Alexis Rhodes smiled kindly at him as he slowly but surely got back on his feet.

"But it's okay," Alexis said. "I know you weren't saying anything bad about me. Were you?"

"No! I mean, of course not!" Syrus sputtered out. "I was…just wondering where you were. We did have to do this before the day is over, you know."

"I took my time rearranging a few cards in my deck," Alexis said, fastening her duel disk to her left arm. "Now, I'm ready for you, Sy."

Syrus just loved hearing her say those words. "I'm ready for you, Sy" seemed to repeat over and over in his mind before he woke up and activated his Duel Disk the same time Alexis activated hers. "Yeah, well I'm ready too! And don't go thinking I'm the same pushover I used to be."

"Why would I?" Alexis said. "Actually, I've been noticing your improvement since last year and I gotta admit I'm looking forward to this."

"Yeah, well…me too."

"All right, that's enough banter you two." The two turned their attention toward Ms. Fontaine. "Alexis is right though, Syrus. You've improved drastically since last year. And depending on your performance, I just might have you promoted to Obelisk Blue."

Syrus' eyes widened. "Really? I get to be an Obelisk?"

"Provided," Ms. Fontaine said with a tinge of annoyance, "I can convice Dr. Crowler, of course."

"It's what you always wanted," Alexis said. "You'll be one step closer to being Zane's equal!" And as soon as Alexis said that, she knew she shouldn't have and covered her mouth. Syrus started to look a little downcast.

"My brother…"

"I'm so sorry!" Alexis said, raising her hands in defense. "I forgot that subject was a bit taboo with you…"

Syrus looked back up with a fire in his eyes which hasn't been seen in quite some time. "I don't care. Even if I'm promoted to Obelisk Blue, I'll never be anything like him! At least not the way he is now…" Once again, Zane Truesdale was back in the Underground Circuit, delivering the hurt where it's needed and sometimes where it's not needed. After each of his duels, he was noted to constantly switch cards in his deck and throw away the ones he didn't need.

"I'm sorry, you two," Ms. Fontaine said, breaking the tense moment, "but you do realize you literally don't have all day, right?"

"Oh! Right!" Syrus and Alexis both drew five cards and both their Life Points were set to 4000. "Duel!"

"Ladies first!" Alexis drew a card, now being completely serious. "First, I'll summon my Blade Skater (1400/1500) in Attack Mode!" Alexis' cyber girl monster materialized on the field. "Then I'll set two cards face down and end my turn."

"As usual, you never cease to amaze me," Syrus said, drawing his card. "Now, how about this? I summon my Patroid (1200/1200) in Attack Mode!" Syrus summoned what looked like a cartoonish police squad car with a police chief hat. "Then I'll use its ability to look at one of your face down cards. And I'll choose the one on the left!"

Alexis didn't say anything as she lifted up her card before putting it back down: Hallowed Life Barrier.

_That thing can stop my attack!_ Syrus hadn't expected that so soon. _Oh well. Might as well get it out of the way._ "I'll add the equip spell 7 Completed to my Patroid! This boosts its Attack Strength by 700 points (1200 1900)! Now attack, Patroid! Siren Flash!" Patroid withdrew its arms into its wheel wells and came barreling at Cyber Blader with its siren blaring. But Alexis lifted her card.

"You know what's coming," Alexis said. "I activate Hallowed Life Barrier! Now, I can discard one card from my hand in order to stop your Patroid."

When she discarded a card called Cyber Prima, a barrier flashed for a second and Patroid slammed right into it.

"I know that," Syrus explained. "I just wanted to get that off the field, so I can fight for real!"

_For real, huh? _Alexis thought.

"I'll set down a face down card," Syrus continued, "and end my turn."

------------

"Oxygeddon!" Bastion commanded (2800). "Attack his Enraged Battle Ox with Oxygen Stream!"

Outside the Ra Yellow dorm, a heated duel was nearing its completion as Bastion's Oxygeddon let loose a burst of oxygen, shattering Dalton's Battle Ox and dropping his Life Points to 1100. "You think you're so smart? Well I activate my trap, Call of the Haunted! This lets me bring back a monster from my graveyard! And I choose my Garneshia Elefantis!"

"I'm afraid you won't." Bastion raised a card of his own. "Go, Trap Jammer! This card allows me to negate the activation of Call of the Haunted and destroy it!"

Dalton's trap card shattered. "Why you little…!"

"Now, as I was saying," Bastion continued, "go, Hydrogeddon! Attack Mr. Dalton directly! Hydrogen Gust!"

Bastion's beast of hydrogen opened its gaping mouth and plastered Dalton with a blast of hydrogen, dropping Dalton flat on his back and his life points down to zero.

"Your deck was far too easy to analyze," Bastion said, deactivating his disk. "Perhaps next time you can give me a duel with some bite."

"Well done as always, Mr. Misawa," Hugo said, as he was examining them at the time. He heard a beeping noise from his wrist. "Hm?" He looked at his watch, which seemed to double as a Duel Disk radar. "What timing. It looks like I'll have to get to the next exam. You will receive notification of your grade in two days."

"Thank you."

------------

"AAAARGH!!"

Missy collapsed as her Life Points dropped to zero. She was breathing heavily under Sara Sanderling's cold gaze.

"I believe that means you lose," Sara said quietly.

"What is up with that crazy card?!" Missy growled. "I couldn't even touch you!"

"It is…a gift..." Sara turned away from Missy and her exam proctor. "...from my mother…"

* * *

This time we have another special guest doing the previews!

Dimitri: I, Dimitri Kagurazaka the copycat duelist, can imitate the strongest and weakest duelists without flaw!

Rex: Can we just hurry up and duel already?

Jasmine: I'm gonna beat you, Mokuba. You ready? ♥

Mokuba: Why is she staring at me like that?

Jaden: Hey Syrus! How did your exam duel go?

Syrus: ...

Jaden: Uh...Sy?

Next Chapter: **Copycats and Fangirls**

Mokuba: What? My brother's making a cameo?!


	25. Copycats and Fangirls

Chapter 25 – Copycats and Fangirls

"Is this a joke?"

Rex stared directly in the face of…himself?! No, this other Rex wore a yellow jacket. They stared defiantly into each other's eyes, mirroring each other's movements as they tried to sidestep each other.

"Rrr…" The two growled in unison. "CUT THAT OUT! Just how long do you plan on mimicking me?!"

The fake Rex tried and failed to contain his laughter. "Pretty good, huh?"

The real Rex stared in stunned silence as the copycat threw off his hat and wig, revealing his real spiked brown hair.

"Imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery," the boy said. "I love what I do and I do what I love!" And from seemingly out of nowhere, he immediately put on an untidy blue wig and spectacles which were close to fall off his nose. "Here's our favorite pipsqueak…" He switched to a spiked black wig. "…Mr. Emo-King…" And a mushroom shaped brown wig. "…And my personal favorite, the hero duelist! How sweet is that?!" And back to his normal hair. "I, Dimitri Kagurazaka the copycat duelist, have mimicked several faces and voices on this island, and with an ever-growing collection of cards, I have flawlessly copied their decks as well!"

"SHUT UP AND TURN ON YOUR DUEL DISK!" Needless to say, Rex was already fed up with the guy, who totally flinched when Rex yelled at him. Rex was so angry he looked as though he would explode.

"You could just say please." Dimitri frowned and activated his duel disk. "Where's the exam proctor anyway?"

"I'm right here." Hugo arrived on the scene, nearly out of breath. He slicked back his oddly streaked hair and straightened his sunglasses. "Well, Mr. Raptor, we meet again. And so soon, I might add."

Rex groaned. _I'm surrounded by idiots._

"Anyway," Hugo continued, "I will be your exam proctor for today. You might not see it behind my glasses, but I'll be watching you both very carefully for any foul play."

"That's fine by me," Rex said, slipping his one more card into his deck. _Wait 'til he sees this!_

"Very well, then," Dimitri said, also slicking his hair back and putting on a pair of sunglasses.

"You may begin when ready."

Both duelists set their Life Points to 4000 and drew five cards. Rex examined his hand and grinned. _Nice. Sabersaurus on the first draw! I'll wipe him out in no time. Now, let's see what else I've got…_

_------------_

Elsewhere, down by the beach, Mokuba was _not_ a happy camper. That was evident by the grimace on his face and the twitch of his eyebrow. Instead of actually playing the game, Jasmine spent half the time flirting with him and making childish moves. Mokuba still had 4000 Life Points as well as two Thunder Dragons on the field in Attack Mode and one card face down. Jasmine had 2000 Life Points, no monsters, and two face down cards on the field. Even the exam proctor, an old man with long graying hair and a blue coat, was getting fed up with Jasmine's antics.

"Jasmine, tell me again why you're not taking this duel seriously."

"I'm very serious!" Jasmine shouted. "It's just…" She couldn't bring herself to finish and started giggling again.

Mokuba closed his eyes and put his hand to his temple. _Does my brother ever go through this mess?_

_----_

Meanwhile, back in Domino City…

The phone on Seto Kaiba's desk rang and rang. Kaiba pressed the speaker button and heard lots of shrill screams on the other end. "What is it?"

"Sir!" Roland yelled amongst the screams. "There's a large group of young women here to see you!"

"Tell them I'm busy." That's all Roland heard before Kaiba hung up. And sadly, that's the last Kaiba would hear from Roland for the remainder of the fiscal year.

----

"All right," Jasmine said, suddenly full of gusto. "I've had my fill of fun. It's time I get dueling for real! Draw!" Jasmine drew a card from her deck. "I play Injection Fairy Lily (400/1500) in Attack Mode!"

Lily took the form of a small girl in a skimpy nurse's outfit, holding a syringe about as big as her body. Lily took the time to wink at Mokuba, making him groan again.

"Looks like my monster likes you too!" Jasmine said happily. "But that's nothing compared to what happens next. If I pay 2000 Life Points, then my Fairy's attack strength increases to 3000 during the damage step!"

"But all you have _left_ is 2000," Mokuba protested.

"Not exactly," Jasmine said, raising one of her facedowns. "I activate the spell, Emergency Provisions! Now, I can ditch a face down card and increase my Life Points by 1000."

"Ah." Mokuba raised an eyebrow as Jasmine's Life Points rose to 3000. "So you're not just ditzy, huh?"

"Nope. I'm going to be as tough as Alexis Rhodes someday," Jasmine said with a fire in her eyes.

_Alexis, huh?_ Mokuba thought. Looking back, Mokuba realized that Alexis hadn't even looked at him half the time during the dance. She just kept staring at…

"Now, let's activate my Fairy's special ability!" Jasmine dropped her Life Points to 1000 and Lily's syringe grew bigger and bigger in her hands, increasing her attack points to 3000.

"Time to take your shots, sweetie! Attack the left Thunder Dragon!"

Lily jumped on her syringe and took to the sky like a rocket. Lily sailed back down with the speed of a bullet. But Mokuba wasn't having that!

"I activate…"

Back in the woods…

"Let's get your DNA Surgery out of the way!" Torrey had activated a Spell card known as Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Weevil's trap card. The Insect parts that had sprouted from Torrey's Despair from the Dark (2800/3000) had receded back into its body. "Since that's gone, my monsters are no longer insects. And your Barrier can't do a thing."

Weevil's eyes widened. All that was on his field was his Insect Barrier, a face down card, and his Cocoon of Evolution (0/2000). And only 700 Life Points to spare.

"Now, let's make this interesting," Torrey continued. "I'll add the Equip Spell, Fairy Meteor Crush. You might know this already, but with this spell attached to Despair from the Dark, it can cause damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode."

"I know how it works!" Weevil shouted. "I've seen it a million times!"

"Good." Torrey nodded. "Then you know what happens next! Despair from the Dark, attack his Cocoon! Dark Hand of the Dead!"

Weevil could only watch in horror. His face down card was Option Hunter, but since his Cocoon had zero attack points, it was useless! Despair from the Dark extended a hand from its shadowy body and swiftly tore through the cocoon and the insect inside. As Weevil's Life Points dropped to zero, he fell back and his glasses fell off.

"You're better than I thought, Weevil," Torrey said, deactivating his duel disk. "It's been a while since my Life Points have dropped past 2000. But that's beside the point. I'd like you to consider joining the séance club. I assure you that it could do you wonders."

Weevil merely shrugged and put his glasses back on, not bothering to get up yet. No one would know that Weevil was only crying on the inside.

"Oh, and let me know what happens with your new 'bandage'!" Weevil froze at Torrey's comment. Even through the duel, he still wouldn't forget about Sara sucking on his fingers. Perhaps that was the reason he lost?

"Séance club, huh?" Weevil heard that familiar giggling voice coming from his duel disk. "Hmph."

------------

"How the heck did we tie?!"

That was both Jaden _and_ Blair. Through some strange circumstances and a few choice trap cards, both duelists somehow got their life points dropped to zero both at once. Even Professor Autumn was dumbfounded. The two stared at each other breathing heavily before Blair stood up straight and brushed some dust off her uniform.

"You got lucky this time, Jaden," Blair said, smirking. "Next time, I'll beat you for real!" She deactivated her duel disk and headed to the dorm without hearing a word from Professor Autumn. Autumn, however, turned to Jaden.

"Well, I got to see plenty of explosions, so that's a plus. I'll give you and Blair your grades in two days."

But Jaden merely sat down in the dirt and slumped on his right arm. "Man…she's gotten way better."

That's when Jaden noticed Syrus' skinny, long legs walk past him. "Hey, Sy! How'd your exam go?"

Syrus looked back and shrugged. "Mm…I did okay."

Elsewhere, Dr. Crowler was getting very irritated as Mindy and Ichigo weren't even dueling, but wasting time talking about the dance and their dates. _Honestly, there are too many fangirls on this island!_ He then started to cry silently. _Why don't __I__ have fangirls?!_

And thus, the exams finally concluded. As scheduled, the students would receive their grades in two days…

* * *

Duo-san: Remember, there's no such thing as "plotholes" in my fics. In the next chapter...oh my...

Jaden: What is it?

Duo-san: Apparently, Chancellor Sheppard has to be hospitalized after getting slashed up by a knife.

Sheppard: What?! That's not good at all! You'd better have a good explanation for this!

Duo-san: Just a little thing called "plot" sir.

Rex: We actually have a plot?

Duo-san: Oh hush. The next chapter is called: **She Strikes**

Jaden: She? She who?

Duo-san: Patience...


	26. She Strikes

For those of you who don't like blood, feel free to skip this chapter.

Chapter 27 – She Strikes

Midnight. About a week after the examinations. There were many unique sounds coming from the island at night: the croaking of frogs, the buzzing of insects, the hooting of an owl, the snap of a twig as a woman walked through the woods…wait, WHAT?! Rewind that! Uh-huh. Yes. That's exactly what I wrote. A woman with pale skin, black hair, and a red gown walked through the thick woods. She soon came upon what she was looking for. Her amber eyes narrowed at the sight of Duel Academy's main facility.

"They are in there," she spoke, holding up a card. "Retrieve them for me…" The card started to glow…

------------

The next day, Pharaoh the cat ran through the halls of Duel Academy as fast as his stubby legs could take him. He seemed to be following a disembodied voice in an orb of light.

"Faster, Pharaoh!" the voice said. "We have to alert Dr. Crowler immediately!"

And as soon as they reached Dr. Crowler's office, Pharaoh swallowed the light ball and started clawing at the door, which opened only seconds afterward.

"Yes, may I…?" Dr. Crowler was about to ask, but saw no one around. It was only after he turned around, that he saw Pharaoh scampering around his office, knocking down a stack of rather important-looking papers. Apparently, Jaden Yuki had gotten yet _another_ zero on his latest pop quiz. Poor guy.

Dr. Crowler started fuming. "That's it! You've had it, you filthy animal!" Pharaoh watched as Dr. Crowler ran to get a net from his closet. Pharoah immediately bolted out the door with Dr. Crowler giving chase. Several students watched in disbelief as Dr. Crowler swung around his net like a madman, accidentally snagging one or two Slifer students in the process.

"Stop running from me, you beast!" Dr. Crowler yelled.

The chase eventually led them to Chancellor Sheppard's office, where Pharaoh hid behind Sheppard's door. Dr. Crowler barged in huffing and puffing, as if he would blow the whole place down, but suddenly remembered his etiquette and bowed. "Forgive me for intruding, Chancellor, but…" That's when the bad doctor saw something awful. Something more drop-dead horrible than Crowler himself.

**"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"** (A/N: I wish there was a size thing for this. It's the only way I can show how loud Crowler really screamed)

------------

"Attention," Dr. Crowler's anxious voice rang on the PDA. "Nurse Fonda Fontaine, please report to the Chancellor's office immediately! This is an urgent matter! Everyone else, GET BACK TO WORK!"

Of course, Weevil and Rex weren't going to get back to work. Rex actually had his hat confiscated by Dr. Crowler about an hour before the announcement and he was never going to let that one go! The boys ran as quick as they could to Sheppard's office.

"What do you think happened, Rex?"

"How should I know? I thought this was about that dumb cat! Hey, that Jaden kid's here too!"

Indeed, Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale were already there. This time Sy was sporting a spiffy new Blue blazer (Sweet!). But despite that, but they couldn't get into the office, as it was being blocked by a pair of Obelisk boys that Dr. Crowler had called up earlier named Torimaki Taiyou and Mototani Raizou. Torimaki had jet black hair that seemed to droop to one side as well as half moon glasses while Mototani was well built and had spiked brown hair.

"Jaden!" Rex shouted as they arrived. "What's going on?!"

"That's what we're trying to find out!" Jaden yelled. "Now let us in, guys!"

"No can do, Slifer Slacker," Torimaki said in a smug fashion. "Dr. Crowler gave us orders not to let _anyone_ inside."

"Yeah," Mototani said, "so why don't you just run along now, ya brats?"

"Why don't _you_ just run along?" Syrus retaliated. "In case you've forgotten, I'm an Obelisk now too."

Torimaki raised an eyebrow and walked over to Syrus. "You may be wearing that blue Obelisk coat now, but you're still the same scared little Slifer squirt we always know…"

"Oh, is that how it is?" a familiar snide voice in a black coat chimed in, approaching the Obelisk pair. "So if what you're saying is true, then even though I'm wearing my black coat," Chazz was now getting up in Torimaki's face, threatening to poke his eyes out with his spiky hair, "then _I'm_ still an Obelisk Blue! Is that right, punk?"

"…I didn't say that."

Chazz growled before the door opened again and Chancellor Sheppard stumbled out with a frantic Nurse Fontaine right beside him. Everyone winced at this appearance. There were bloody slashes across his chest, a splotch of blood on his forehead, and his breathing was rushed and heavy.

"Please, Chancellor! You need to stay still!" Ms. Fontaine almost squealed, holding onto his arm.

"I'm…fine…Fontaine!" Sheppard said, defiantly trying to stay on his feet. "I…have to…get…them…back…" That's when he fell flat on his face.

"Someone get this man a stretcher!" That was the last thing Sheppard heard from Ms. Fontaine before he passed out.

"So what happened to him?"

"Dr. Crowler told me he was attacked last night, but how any madman could get all the way to this island, I'll never know!"

"Maybe he snuck on the plane with the other students."

"It's more than likely, but we can't be certain yet."

In that order, it was Jaden, Fontaine, Weevil, and then Fontaine again. Not long into the debate, Chancellor Sheppard's closed eyes twitched. He opened them slowly to notice that he was in the hospital room. Judging by the low light outside, he could tell that the sun had just started to set.

"Look! He's waking up!" This came from Rex, who was sitting on another medical bed.

Everyone (Jaden, Syrus, Chazz, Weevil, Rex, Ms. Fontaine, Dr. Crowler) turned to Chancellor Sheppard who tried to sit up straight. He had bandages around his head and around his left arm after his recent tumble and was now wearing a pale green hospital gown, which also covered the bandages wrapped around his waist.

"Unhh…my students…?" Sheppard spoke, groggily. "What brings you here?"

"We want to know what happened!" Jaden shouted, almost immediately. "What happened to you?!"

Sheppard sighed. "Well, as most of you can tell by now, I was attacked."

"Well, we can see that," Dr. Crowler said in his usual I'm-better-than-you voice. "What we want to know is who did this to you!"

Sheppard had to stop and think, just to make sure he didn't see wrong. He then remembered the slashes on his chest. No human could do such a thing. His office was so dark back then, he couldn't remember exactly what he saw. "It looked like…a ghost."

Jaden raised an eyebrow. "A ghost?"

"What would cause some ghost to do something like this?" Syrus asked nervously.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Sheppard answered, "because not only did it attack me without any warrant, I assure you, but it stole all the Shadow Charms from my vault!"

"THE SHADOW CHARMS?!" Everyone shouted in shock (except Weevil and Rex who had no idea what they were).

"We still have those?" Jaden asked.

------------

Meanwhile, back outside, a voice cackled. This was not the woman from last night. This woman was different, as she had green skin and a raggedy brown dress. She cackled while fawning over seven oddly shaped items.

"My mistress will be pleased," she spoke in a raspy voice, "but there's no reason to deliver them now. I can have some fun with them first!"

From the items, she picked up a circular pendant emblazoned with an eye with a ruby in its pupil.

"This Shadow Pendant should do wonders for me…heh heh heh…"

"Is that what you believe?"

The green woman was shocked to hear that soft cold voice. She slowly turned around to see the woman in red, glaring down at her with emotionless eyes.

"If it is fun you want," the red woman spoke, "then it is fun you shall have."

"You…you are not disappointed with me?"

"I will say I am a bit displeased that you did not bring the Charms directly to me as I have asked, but perhaps it was fate that my walk through this forest brought me to you."

The green woman bowed anxiously and pathetically. "I'm sorry! I did not mean to disobey your orders!"

"Worry not." The woman in red smiled. "Because you disobeyed a minor order, I will let you off easy this time. But next time, do not disappoint me. Tomorrow night, you will get back up there…" A black aura seemed to emanate from the woman, causing the green woman to flinch. "…and you will KILL THE OLD MAN LIKE I TOLD YOU TO!"

* * *

Syrus: Who is this mysterious woman? I'm sorry to say that the author hasn't gotten that far yet. 

Duo-san: Syrus, I was gonna get to that!

Pharaoh: Mrrrow!

Jaden: It's a good thing Dr. Crowler found out about this or Chancellor Sheppard would be a goner for sure!

Pharaoh: MRRROWR!

Chazz: Will someone calm down this stupid cat?!

Jaden: What is it, Pharaoh? Is it feeding time already?

Pharaoh: _Listen to me! The ghost is returning! You must prepare for battle!_

Next Chapter: **The Dark Game at Midnight**

**

* * *

**

Just for the record, Torimaki Taiyou and Mototani Raizou are a couple of Obelisk students who hung out with Chazz during the first season. I officially confirmed their names on my Spirit Caller DS game.


	27. The Dark Game at Midnight

I'm a little disappointed by the lack of reviews on the last chapter...but I'll let it slide this time.

Chapter 27 – The Dark Game at Midnight

That night seemed eerily quiet. Most everyone had gone back to sleep back at their dorms and the whole thing about Chancellor Sheppard was immediately hushed up, though that didn't stop rumors about the attack from spreading around the school.

"Have you heard about Chancellor Sheppard?"

"They say he's sliced up really bad."

"I heard he's gonna die in three days!"

"Does this mean Dr. Crowler's gonna take over his job again??"

"I hope he's okay…"

And it goes on and on. But enough about that. In the hallway leading to the hospital room, the green lady had returned. However, this time, she wore the Shadow Pendant around her neck. What was strange was that she was completely silent as she made her way there. No sound from any footsteps whatsoever. The door to Sheppard's room creaked open slowly. And there he was, sound asleep. The lady slowly made her way over to him, while reaching into her ragged dress and pulling out a knife. As she loomed over him, she smiled a deranged smile and raised her blade. That was when the lights turned on.

"Ha! Caught you!"

The lady's eyes widened hysterically when she turned around and noticed Jaden Yuki's hand was on the light switch. With more light in the room, Jaden could see how she was so silent: she had no feet, but rather floated on a vapor trail coming from the end of her dress.

"How did you know I would be here?" the lady asked.

"Actually," Jaden answered, thinking for a second, "I didn't."

Earlier…

"So what are we supposed to do?" Syrus asked. "We can't just leave him here! That ghost will probably be back to finish him off!"

"Will someone please tell me what these freaking 'Shadow Charms' are?!" Rex asked for the fifth time.

"I'll gladly tell you, my boy," Sheppard answered, before clearing his throat. "The seven Shadow Charms were made to counter the dark powers of the Millennium Items. I have no idea who made them, but after the incident with the Shadow Riders, I had them stored in my vault so they wouldn't be used for evil purposes anymore…" At that, Sheppard coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Chancellor!" Fontaine immediately kneeled to his side and held his hand. "You shouldn't talk anymore. You're only hurting yourself!"

But Sheppard wouldn't listen. "I heard before that these charms…can also call out the spirits of Duel Monsters…" Before he could finish, Chancellor Sheppard fainted.

Everyone stared as Ms. Fontaine put a hand on his heart.

"His heart is still beating," Fontaine said. "He's alive…but he really shouldn't be doing anything strenuous for a while."

Weevil pushed up his glasses. _Again with these spirits…_

"I don't know anything about this ghost," Fontaine said, "but someone should stay with him, in case this thing decides to attack him again..."

------------

"And so, here I am," Jaden finished explaining. "Now tell me who you are!"

The green lady laughed softly. "You may call me the Magical Ghost. As you may have realized by now, I am a monster spirit."

"A monster spirit?" Jaden's eyes widened. He also noticed the knife in her hand, which she still hadn't put down. "Why did you attack Chancellor Sheppard?!"

"Why, you ask?" Magical Ghost questioned back. "To retrieve the Shadow Charms. Of course, I wouldn't even be here if not for my mistress."

"Mistress?"

"Yes. She gave me very specific orders to kill the old man. Orders which I'm very happy to carry out. You see, she has given me life and this Shadow Pendant has given me power. However, if I can take the old man's life, my strength will surely increase!"

Jaden felt a little scared. He had no idea that malicious spirits like this even existed, aside from Jinzo.

"So tell me," Magical Ghost continued, "do you wish to stand in my way? Do you wish for me to kill you as well?" She raised an eyebrow and sneered. "You do seem to emit more vitality than the old man. I'll tell you what. Why don't we settle this the old fashioned way…in a duel, perhaps?"

"A duel?" Jaden suddenly smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere! But if I win, you have to give back the Shadow Pendant and leave Chancellor Sheppard alone!"

"And if I win," Magical Ghost smiled maliciously, "I will have two souls to sustain my life."

"Two souls?" Jaden blinked.

"Of course. There's the old man…and then there's you. Now, come with me." She raised a pale green finger which seemed to glow. "This room would not be very spacious for a duel."

As he stared at the glowing, Jaden suddenly fainted. What took only seconds seemed like hours as Jaden woke up. Somehow, he was back in front of the Slifer Red dorm. He struggled to stand up, only to find out he somehow sprained his ankle.

"Uh…hello?" Jaden called out. "…Spooky ghost lady?"

"Yes?"

Jaden nearly jumped out of his clothes when he heard Magical Ghost's voice right behind him and backed away before he felt something heavy on his wrist. Somehow, he had a Duel Disk already fastened to his arm and his deck was in place.

"Huh? How did…?!"

"You should focus, boy. This Shadow Game is about to begin!"

* * *

Duo-san: Right now, I'm wondering whether or not to post the entire duel at once or divide it into three roughly even chapters. I'll let you guys decide for me.

Magical Ghost: My power has become stronger since my arrival in this dimension. I imagine I must be five times stronger than you by now.

Jaden: You're wrong, because I'm _ten_ times stronger than you!

M.G.: Well, I happen to be 20 times stronger than you!

Jaden: I'm at least 50 times stronger than you!

M.G.: I'M 100 TIMES STRONGER THAN YOU, HUMAN!

Jaden: I'M A MILLION TIMES STRONGER THAN YOU ARE!

M.G.: I'M INFINITY _PLUS_ TIMES STRONGER THAN YOU AND THAT'S THAT!

Next Chapter: **Jaden VS Magical Ghost**

Syrus: Shouldn't they be dueling or something?


	28. Jaden VS Magical Ghost

Even though I originally published this on Oct. 7 on Gaia, I still think this has that Halloween flavor. And by the way, Pumpkid, Magical Ghost is a monster card that was first released with the original Yugi Starter Deck. Now that that's out of the way, ON TO THE SHADOW DUEL!

Chapter 28 – Jaden VS Magical Ghost

Because Jaden couldn't exactly stand up with a sprained ankle, he was forced to duel down on one knee. It was a very uncomfortable position.

"So how are we doing this?" Jaden asked.

"It's actually quite simple," Magical Ghost answered. She had drawn her fingers across a glowing blue cord which seemed to connect the two's chests. "Do you know what this is?"

"I'd rather not."

"This rope will act as a soul 'fuse' of sorts."

"A fuse?"

A ball of blue fire enveloped the middle of the rope. "Yes. Just like a bomb. This fire will act as our Life Point indicator. As we lose life points, more and more of the fuse will burn away until one of us reaches zero."

"And what happens next?" Jaden asked, even though he full well knew the answer already.

"When one of us reaches zero, the loser's soul will be burned from his body! Hope you like pain, because you WILL feel it!"

Jaden recoiled as Magical Ghost laughed sadistically, but soon became bored with her proceedings. "Has anyone told you you have problems?"

"Hush, boy!" She spat out. "It's time for us to begin!"

"All right! Get your game on, Ghost Lady!"

Jaden activated his duel disk while Magical Ghost levitated her deck by means of some sort of spell. Five cards moved from her deck to her front, hiding her face and theirs as well.

"Dramatic," Jaden said, drawing _six_ cards, "but I'm going first! I'm gonna summon on up, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Attack Mode! (1200/800)"

Burstinatrix materialized on the field, donning her usual red bodysuit which seemed to curl up her body like flames.

"I'll also throw down a face down and call it a turn."

"And you call _me_ dramatic," Magical Ghost drew a card from her deck. "I play the spell, Nobleman of Extermination. This card allows me to remove your face down card from play. But first, let's see what it is!"

"Man…" Jaden took the card out of his Duel Disk, revealing it to be Instant Fusion.

"Very well, then," Magical Ghost continued. "Had it been a trap card, we would've had to search our decks for any traps of the same name. But since Instant Fusion is a spell card, you just have to remove it from play."

"I figured that much out already."

"Now that that's out of the way…I summon myself in Attack Mode!" Magical Ghost (1300/1400) drifted onto the field, leaving her deck to levitate behind her. "Now then, let's get that Burstinatrix out of the way. Magical Shockwave!"

Magical Ghost raised her hands and shot lightning out of them, shattering Burstinatrix. Jaden's Life Points dropped to 3900.

Back inside the Slifer Red dorms…

Rex woke up with a grunt after hearing the shockwaves outside and fell to the floor. He struggled to get up and shook Weevil hastily.

"Weevil! WEEVIL!"

Weevil rubbed his eyes and woke up groggily. "Eh…Rex? What time is it?"

"Didn't you hear that noise? Something's happening outside!"

--------

"And with that," Magical Ghost continued, "I shall set one card face down and end my turn."

"Took you long enough," Jaden said.

"Jaden!"

Before Jaden could draw his card, he turned to the source of the call. Weevil and Rex were watching the duel from the balcony of the Slifer dorms.

"What's going on, Jaden?!" Rex asked in a hurry.

"Stay back, guys!" Jaden shouted. "This is dangerous!"

"Jaden?!" Weevil suddenly looked blue in the face. His finger shook as he pointed at Magical Ghost. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup, it's a monster spirit," Jaden said, making Weevil and Rex gulp. "And right now, I gotta win this duel if I'm gonna keep my soul."

_Is that what that glowy rope is for?_ Rex thought.

"You're forgetting, boy," Magical Ghost added, "the soul of the old man is on the line as well."

"Actually," Jaden said, "I was hoping you'd forget. Anyway, here goes!" Jaden drew his next card. "Now, I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman (1600/1400) in Attack Mode!"

Sparkman took to the field in a flash of lightning, striking a dramatic pose.

"Now, Sparkman, attack Magical Ghost! Shining Surge Flash!"

"I think not." Magical Ghost raised her face down card. "I activate my trap, Nightmare Wheel!" From out of nowhere, chains latched themselves around Sparkman's arms and legs, binding him to a giant metal wheel seemingly held up by the bones of some fanged monster.

"My Sparkman! What the heck is that thing?!"

Magical Ghost laughed softly. "It's one of my favorite traps. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use it so early, but I value my life. Anyway, this steel gauntlet will slowly torture your monster and cost you 500 Life Points during each of your turns, bringing you that much closer to a fate worse than death."

Jaden could only grind his teeth.

"Man, look at Jaden," Rex said. "He looks fired up."

"Hey, Rex," Weevil said, pointing at the soul rope. "What do you think that rope is for?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good."

"Guess I'll throw down a face down and hope for the best," Jaden said.

"Very well." Magical Ghost drew her next card. "First, I'll go into to Defense Mode (1400), then I summon Ebon Magician Curran (1200/0) in Attack Mode!"

A dollfaced girl in a black dress and black bunny cap appeared on the field. The emotion on her face was entirely unreadable as she stretched the pink whip in her hand.

"She has a nasty side effect as well," Magical Ghost said, caressing Curran's shoulders. "During each of my standby phases, she can shave off 300 of your Life Points for each monster you control. Consider yourself lucky that you only have one monster. But even so, we're both so much weaker and with your Sparkman chained up like that, you can't even attack us."

Jaden gritted his teeth.

"Now, I'll lay another card face down and end my turn," Magical Ghost said.

"Whoa," Rex said. "500 from that wheel thing, and 300 from that creepy girl? That's 800 total!"

"It won't stop there, Rex," Weevil interrupted. "That ghost lady's deck must be stuffed with direct damage cards."

"You mean," Rex continued, "she uses a burn deck."

"My move!" As soon as Jaden drew his next card, the giant jaws on top of the Nightmare Wheel started to grind and gnash their teeth on Sparkman's arms, causing Jaden's Life Points to drop to 3400.

"Heh heh heh…It's only a matter of time," Magical Ghost crooned, "before that flame reaches your body. And when it does, your soul will burn to proverbial ash!"

"That's not gonna happen," Jaden said. "And I know just how to shut down that Nightmare Wheel!"

"Hmm?"

"It's fusion time! I activate the spell, Polymerization, to bring out my newest Elemental Hero! Let's take one part Sparkman and add a pinch of Necroshade from my hand to form…wait for it…Elemental Hero Darkbright (2000/1000)!"

The Nightmare Wheel exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere as a new hero arrived on Jaden's side of the field: Darkbright looked like Sparkman, but his armor was black and red with huge gold wings.

"I should have known," Magical Ghost said with a scowl. "Most duelists who use E-Hero decks know how to use fusion cards well."

"You got that right!" Jaden continued. "And it gets even better! Now, Darkbright, attack Ebon Magician Curran! Dark Surge Breaker!"

Darkbright raised his right hand and it started to spark with black lightning.

"I think not." Magical Ghost raised another card. "I activate Negate Attack!"

Darkbright's electric attack seemed to just disappear the instant it got close to Curran. Magical Ghost laughed haughtily.

"Well, he got close," Rex said.

"It's cool," Jaden said. "Darkbright's ability switches him to Defense Mode and that ends my turn."

"Back to me, then," Magical Ghost draws. "And let's not forget my other monster. Ebon Magician Curran, give him a lashing!"

Curran unrolled her whip and lashed away at Jaden, dropping his Life Points to 3100.

"Now, let's get Mr. Blacklight out of the way," Magical Ghost said, switching back to Attack Mode. "Magical Shockwave!" She raised her hands and shot lightning from her fingertips, causing Darkbright to cringe before shattering.

"Darkbright's next ability activates!" Jaden shouted. "Since he's destroyed, I get to destroy one of your monsters! And I choose your Ebon Magician Curran!"

Curran shatters as well. "Why you…"

"But it doesn't stop there," Jaden said, raising a face down card. "It's time for Hero Counterattack!"

"Hero what?"

"Counterattack! I can activate this when one of my Elemental Heroes is destroyed in battle. All you have to do is pick a card from my hand and if it's an Elemental Hero, I can summon it to the field."

"This shouldn't be too difficult," Magical Ghost said, pondering for a moment. "Second from the left."

"Good choice! It's my Elemental Hero Bubbleman! Now this is my favorite part. Since you selected a Hero monster from my hand, I can destroy one of your monsters before I summon it. And the only monster on your side of the field…"

Magical Ghost's eyes widened horribly. "…is _me_."

A shower of water bombs rained from above, plastering Magical Ghost into submission before Bubbleman (800/1200) took to the field, striking a clumsy pose.

"Curse you…" Magical Ghost hissed under her breath as she struggled to get back up. "My turn is not over…I'll burn away more of your life with the spell, Ookazi! Say goodbye to 800 Life Points"

"Huh?" Jaden's duel disk began to spark and his body was suddenly engulfed in flames. He screamed in agony as his Life Points dropped to 2300. When the flames soon fizzled out, Jaden's breathing was getting heavy and his sprained ankle was starting to get to him. The flame on Jaden's rope was getting even closer to his body and he hasn't even damaged that freaky ghost lady yet.

"Ahh…such agonizing screams are like nectar to me…" Magical Ghost licked her lips.

"Wha…What's your deal?"

"Hm?" Magical Ghost raised an eyebrow.

"Do you enjoy causing pain? Making people suffer like this?!"

"That's a stupid question," the ghost sneered. "Of course I do. It's what they deserve for discarding me. You see, every few months Industrial Illusions releases new cards out to the world; cards that everyone just has to get their hands on. And why do they bother? They simply toss out the old ones in their decks in order to make room for the new. I, myself, am one of the oldest duel monster cards in existence. In fact, the Magical Ghost card was released with the first starter deck ever released by Industrial Illusions. And for what purpose? To be discarded, like a piece of trash! Of course, I could never do anything on my own. I was sealed into a small piece of paper. That's when…she came."

"_She_ came?" Jaden blinked. "This 'mistress' of yours?"

"Precisely. She granted me my spiritual form and my powers through the use of this Shadow Pendant on my neck. But it is not enough for me. If I can kill you and the old man, and take both souls, I can have a true body made of living, pulsating flesh."

Weevil and Rex shuddered. _This old hag is nuts!_ They seemed to think in unison.

"…" Jaden wasn't sure what to say.

"But I've rambled on enough about my life, or lack thereof," Magical Ghost continued. "I shall set a card face down and end my turn."

"About time." Jaden drew his next card. "I play the spell, Fusion Recovery! This allows me to return Polymerization and one monster back to my hand, and I choose Sparkman! Next, I activate the Equip Spell, Bubble Blaster, bringing my Bubbleman's attack points to 1600!"

A large bazooka-like weapon materializes on Bubbleman's right shoulder.

"Now attack Little Miss Sunshine directly!" Jaden ordered. "Bubble Barrage!"

Once again, Magical Ghost was plastered by a storm of water shots from Bubbleman's cannon. She groaned as her Life Points dropped to 2400.

"No!" Magical Ghost watched in horror as the blue flame started to eat away at nearly half of her soul rope. "I…I…"

"Aww yeah!" Rex cheered, while Weevil whistled fiercely. "Trash her, Jaden!"

It was those words that caused Magical Ghost to twitch. "…Trash?" She twitched again. "Jaden Yuki…I have changed my mind. Once I win this duel, I will kill those brats instead. As long as I have two souls in me, what will it matter?"

This statement, along with a matching "death glare" sent their way, caused Weevil and Rex to latch onto each other in sheer terror.

"Now, hurry up and finish your turn!"

"Fine," Jaden said. "I'll throw down a face down and call it a turn."

Magical Ghost drew her next card with a little more force than her usual calm state a few turns ago. "Jaden…you should be thankful that I have been kind up until this point. I shall summon Maha Vailo (1550/1400) in Attack mode!"

Magical Ghost's monster, a woman in robes of blue with huge blue blades on her back materialized on the field.

"Maha Vailo has an interesting ability as well. She gains an extra 500 attack points for each Equip Spell I attach to her. And that's just what I'll do with my Black Pendant!"

A necklace with a black jewel dangles from Maha Vailo's neck.

"Black Pendant adds on another 500 attack points. Add that to her usual effect, and it brings her power to 2550!"

Magical Ghost sneered maliciously as her monster gets souped up by both effects.

"Now, Maha Vailo, attack his Bubbleman!"

"Can't let you do that!" Jaden said, raising a card. "I activate Hero Barrier. As long as I have an Elemental Hero on the field, your attack is negated."

"I think not," Magical Ghost said, raising another face down card. "I activate Trap Jammer! This card negates the activation of your trap and destroys it!"

Jaden's barrier disappeared as Maha Vailo charged an orb of light at her fingertips.

"All right, Bubbleman," Jaden said, "you know what to do. Let's give Maha Vailo a new target!"

Magical Ghost blinked. "What new target?"

Bubbleman tossed the Bubble Blaster into the air and the thing exploded under Maha Vailo's light attack. The results created a rather irate expression on Magical Ghost's face.

"Impossible! YOU CHEAT!"

"'Fraid not," Jaden said, waving his finger. "Bubble Blaster has another ability. When you attacked my Bubbleman, his blaster takes the hit instead. And my Bubbleman is safe and sound."

"Are you mocking me, human?!" Magical Ghost snapped.

"Nah, I'm just keeping me and my friends alive," Jaden said. "Nothing to it."

_Huh? Friends?_ Weevil thought.

_Is he talking about us?_ Rex thought.

"Just make your move," Magical Ghost shrieked angrily. "Draw your last pathetic card!"

_Yikes. Someone needs a nap. All right, cards. The lives of me and my friends are on the line. If I don't draw the card I need now, it's all over! Come on, deck. Show me some love._ Jaden drew his next card. "Sweet! It's time to rock Polymerization one more time! So I'll fuse my Sparkman and Clayman to form Elemental Hero Thunder Giant (2400/1500)!"

A storm broke out in the cloudy skies above and the enormous Elemental Hero descended from the sky above, making the ground quake as he touched down. Electricity coursed through his body as he stared down Maha Vailo through his visor.

"Man…that sucker's huge!" Rex said, wide-eyed.

"Yeah," Weevil agreed, also wide-eyed. "Glad I'm up here."

"Such a shame," Magical Ghost sneered. "Your monster's not strong enough."

"It's not always about the points," Jaden pointed out. "You see, if I discard a card from my hand, Thunder Giant can send one of your monsters to the graveyard, as long as its original attack points are lower than his. And just so you know, card effects don't apply this time."

"No!" Magical Ghost cringed a bit. "My Maha Vailo!"

"So let's discard, say, my Neo Spacian Air Hummingbird, aaaaand presto!"

Maha Vailo disintegrated in a flash of electricity. The black pendant fell to the ground and shattered as well, causing Jaden 500 points of damage (LP: 1800).

"Did I forget to mention Black Pendant's other ability?" Magical Ghost said. "Whenever it's destroyed, you lose 500 Life Points."

"Like that matters now," Jaden said with a smirk. "I still have Thunder Giant's attack to use and you're wide open!"

Magical Ghost's eyes widened horribly. "No…NO!!"

"Take her down, Thunder Giant! Voltic Thunder!"

Thunder Giant raised his mighty arm and a shower of lightning bolts fell from the blue orb in his hand. Magical Ghost screamed horribly as her Life Points fell to zero. The levitation on her deck broke and the rest of her cards scattered everywhere.

"And that's game!"

"Whoa! He won!" Rex exclaimed in excitement.

"I'll admit, it was pretty good." Weevil merely shrugged before Jaden fell on his side. "Jaden!"

"Darn…my ankle still hurts…" Jaden's breathing became ragged as he watched the flame on his soul rope go out in a harmless puff of smoke. Magical Ghost had also fallen to the ground. She looked like she was going to cry.

_I lost…how could I lose…_ But before she could ponder her loss any further, she shot back up and started screaming and pulling on her hair. Her eyes were close to popping out of her head. Jaden, Weevil, and Rex were, of course, freaked out beyond belief.

"Forgive me, my mistress," she shrieked. "I can kill him if you give me another chance! Please! I beg of you! Allow me one more chance!"

_I have no room in my deck for failure. Now, as your terms state, you will burn._

The "fuse" as she called it, disappeared into Magical Ghost's chest. Jaden and the others watched her body burst into blue flames. Her shrieking voice pierced the night sky and her body contorted horribly as she disintegrated into nothing in the bonfire.

"…" Jaden was at a loss for words…

"…" And so was Weevil.

"Okay, just a _little_ bit creepy." Rex was not, but he was still freaked out.

And somewhere in the midst of it all, the Shadow Pendant hit the ground with a soft thump. At that, Jaden desperately crawled over to get it back.

"Uh…what are you doing?" Weevil asked.

"Chancellor Sheppard…needed me to…get this back," Jaden grunted out before Weevil walked past him and picked it up. He stared at it for a minute as though expecting it to do something.

"It's just a useless medallion now," Weevil said as he tossed it over to Jaden. Of course, Jaden, being who he is, missed the catch and it broke in half on the ground. A moment of silence, as well as a gust of wind went by as the three of them registered what happened.

"Nice going, Weevil," Rex said angrily. "You had to go and break it!"

"Don't you yell at me!" Weevil snarled back. "This thing's a piece of junk!"

"It's no big deal, guys," Jaden said, picking up the pieces and getting back on his feet. "It just snaps back together, see?" And just like that, the two pieces of the medallion were together again, as though nothing happened.

"Uh…huh." Rex simply nodded, even though he had no idea what just happened.

"So what do we do now?" Weevil asked.

"We'll need to take this to Chancellor Sheppard," Jaden said, "and tell him about this messed up duel…but not right now." Jaden let out a big yawn. "I'm sooooo tired and my foot is killing me!"

"Yeah, I need to catch some Z's," Rex said, rubbing his eyes and getting back into his room, but before he opened the door…

"Hey, Jaden," Rex said. "Did you mean what you said? I mean, about us being friends and stuff?"

Weevil's eyes widened a bit as he shifted his glance back and forth between Rex and Jaden. Jaden, however, just grinned his usual goofy grin.

"Of course," he replied. "We're all Slifers here, right? We've gotta look out for each other 'cause those Obelisk snobs sure won't. Why?"

"It's just…" Rex stopped and scratched his head for a second. "…nothing."

Jaden blinked then shrugged. "All right. If you say so."

As Jaden hobbled up the stairs, Weevil and Rex looked at each other again.

_Looking out for each other, huh?_ Weevil thought as he pushed up his glasses.

_We just spent our whole lives swindling one person after another_, Rex thought as he stared up at the moon. _We've never had real friends…_

Meanwhile…

The lady in red held a card in her spindly fingers. The monster on the card (Magical Ghost) seemed to be screaming in agony and desperation.

"Please…have mercy on me…I will kill them…I must!"

"…No." Rrrrrip!

* * *

Torrey: I'm Torrey Takadera. Third year Obelisk and current president of the Duel Academy Séance Club. And I would just like to inform the readers that no spirits or duelists were harmed in the making of this chap-AAAH! (shoved away) 

Syrus: Forget about that! The next chapter's about me!

Jaden: Sy?! What happened to you?!

Next Chapter: Stick in the Mud

Syrus: It's gonna be messy!

* * *

Wow. This story is really catching up to me. This is only two and a half chapters away from the chapter I'm currently working on. 


	29. Stick in the Mud

Attention Syrus fangirls: you might not like what I'm gonna pull next.

Chapter 29 – Stick in the Mud

Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm. 12:15 am. Not long after the Shadow Game…

SPLAT!

"We'd better not see you here again!"

--------

Slifer Red dorms. 1:00 pm.

Once again, it was raining. Rumors had spread around campus about Jaden's duel with Magical Ghost. But enough about that. In the Slifer Red cafeteria, even if it wasn't raining, warmth was a luxury. Thankfully, Professor Autumn had learned about the conditions of the place in advance and was kind enough to bring a heater from her home to the cafeteria. This made the usual stressed eating conditions just a little easier. Of course, it didn't do squat for the bite-sized foodstuffs. Today's lunch: Ham and cheese sandwiches and kosher pickles. Yay. Weevil and Rex were probably the only ones who shared Jaden's eating habits of devouring anything that looked edible.

"Someone hand me the salt!" Weevil said with a full mouth.

"And get me some more pickles!" Rex said, stopping for a swig of bottled water.

"I'm ready for thirds!" Jaden said, raising his plate for the second time.

"Geez," Chazz said while enjoying his lunch _quietly._ "You guys are bottomless pits, I swear." It was after that comment that everyone heard a thumping noise on the door.

"I got it!" Everyone watched as Blair jumped out of her seat, ran to the door and opened it. On the other side was someone or _something_ covered head to foot in mud. This, of course, scared the life out of Jaden and the rest of the Slifers.

"MUD MONSTER!" Jaden and Blair yelled.

"It's another monster spirit!" Weevil and Rex screamed in unison.

"Guys…I'm not a monster." The mud creature took off what appeared to be a small pair of mud-covered glasses and a pair of pale gray eyes broke through the mud.

"S…Syrus?!" Jaden's eyes widened comically.

"Mr. Truesdale?!" Professor Autumn's glasses actually slipped off her face. Sure enough, futile as it was, Syrus wiped off more mud from his face, making his identity a little more visible.

"Since when do you play in the mud, Sy?" Jaden asked in a sad attempt at cheering the boy up.

"I wasn't playing, Jaden," Syrus said quietly. The poor kid looked like he was about to cry. "I got kicked out of the Obelisk dorms."

Jaden's eye twitched. "You're kidding! It's barely a week, and Crowler actually threw you into the mud?! Boy, I'm glad _I'm_ not an Obelisk."

"It wasn't Crowler," Syrus said with a sniffle. "Let me tell you what happened…"

Flashback to last night, a few minutes before midnight.

A storm was brewing outside. Syrus finally had his things unpacked and arranged in his new Obelisk dorm room just the way he wanted it. It truly felt like home away from home.

"Ah, this is nice," Syrus said with a smile. "I can see why Chazz loves this place so much. His room is like a little tent compared to this place!"

Someone knocked on his door. "Coming!"

Syrus opened his door. Lightning struck outside as three Obelisks made their presence known in Syrus' doorway: Torimaki Taiyou, Mototani Raizou, and Jerome Dalton.

"Hey guys," Syrus said cheerfully. "What's up?"

Lightning struck again, adding a sinister effect to their scowls.

"…Guys?"

About a minute later…

"Stop! What are you doing?! Put me down!"

Each of the three Obelisks grabbed a part of Syrus' coat and literally dragged him to the front door of the Obelisk Blue dorms.

"You'll never be a real Obelisk, ya whiny brat!" Dalton shouted angrily.

"All right, everyone," Torimaki said. "On three!"

Dalton kicked open the doors. The storm had started to pick up outside.

"One…two…"

"No, wait! H-How about a deal?!"

"THREE!"

Syrus screamed as the three threw him out the doors and he fell face down in a patch of fresh mud. He was about to get up when he got hit on the head with his duel disk, knocking him out cold.

"We'd better not see you here again!" Mototani yelled before slamming the doors.

"I woke up the next morning with a headache the size of a truck," Syrus said, pulling a twig out of his hair.

"So why'd you come back here?" Blair asked. "I mean, shouldn't you just try and get back in the Obelisk dorms?"

"They won't let me back in," Syrus said, "which is why I came here to use the shower here. By the way, does anyone have any soap?"

Jaden and the other Slifers stared at each other, as though wondering what this thing called "sope" was.

"Uh…Sy?" Jaden began, sheepishly. "It's _us_, remember?"

A sweatdrop managed to leak out of Sy's mud-caked hair. "Right. What was I thinking?"

"Syrus," Professor Autumn said, while getting out of her seat to approach him, "why don't you use my shower? I have plenty of herbal soap to spare."

Syrus, of course, was having a hard time keeping eye contact with the buxom teacher. "Do you mean that, Professor?"

"Of course," Autumn smiled warmly, "as long as you clean up my bathroom when you're done. Oh, and leave your blazer outside. I'll have it washed for you in a little while."

"Thanks, Professor." Syrus had a bit of difficulty getting out of his muddy coat, mainly because there was a small branch jammed in one of his sleeves. Regardless, he let his coat fall on the balcony floor with a sickening "plop" and headed downstairs to Professor Autumn's room. Apparently, Syrus found it much easier to move when he's not covered in mud. Professor Autumn let out a sigh as she picked up Syrus' coat, not even caring that she's getting mud on her blouse. And it was apparent that most of the Slifer boys didn't care either.

"Poor thing…Hm?" For some reason, Professor Autumn started searching through Sy's pockets. Such an act was frowned upon by everyone in the cafeteria.

"Professor?" Blair started. "…What are you doing?"

Autumn abruptly dropped the muddy thing on the floor. Her head lowered a bit. "I wonder if he knows…"

"Knows what?" Jaden asked.

"I wonder if he knows that…"

Meanwhile, Syrus was already in the shower. It felt nice to get all that dirt and grime off his body and out of his hair. Some of it actually got in his mouth. He did land face down after all. However, Syrus was in deep thought about something.

_Maybe I should've told them that they stole my deck before they tossed me out…no…I don't need them worrying about me…_

"WHAAAAAT?!"

Even with the water running, Syrus could barely hear the uproar through the ceiling.

"Then again…they probably know by now," Syrus said with a sheepish grin. "Now where's that shampoo?"

* * *

Duo-san: Before I first publicized this chapter on Gaia, I had the idea bouncing in my head and it wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't want to be so mean to Syrus, but you know how things work. Now, I need to find something to hide me from the mob of angry Sy fangirls.

Next Chapter: **An Unexpected Ally **

Duo-san: Oh! Uh...hi, girls! Allow me to explain...uh...it was HIS idea! -points at Chazz, runs away-


	30. An Unexpected Ally

Chapter 30 – An Unexpected Ally

After drying himself off and putting on some casual clothes that Jaden loaned him (a yellow hoodie and gray sweat pants), Syrus made his way back up to the boys dorms. Lunch was over now and Professor Autumn had some paperwork to take care of (not to mention a particularly muddy blazer). But a bunch of the students haven't left the cafeteria yet and were having a very heated discussion.

"Now, look," Jaden stated, "I know we haven't been on the best terms with the Obelisks since, like…ever. But this is just not right! I mean, sure Sy _used_ to be a Slifer, but he's supposed to be an Obelisk now! Why'd they have to toss him in the mud and take _all_ his cards?!"

"So you did find out."

Jaden nearly jumped out of his seat when Syrus spoke up.

"What are you guys talking about?" Syrus asked.

"Uh…" Jaden scratched his head for a second before Blair answered. "We found out that your cards were stolen!"

"Oh…that." Syrus lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you guys worrying about me."

"Sy," Jaden spoke up, "you're my best friend. I'm gonna worry about you whether you want me to or not. And Chazz feels the same way, right Chazz?"

"Leave me outta this!" Chazz said with his usual huff.

"Anyway, we've gotta think of a way to get Sy's cards back _and_ get back at those Obelisk jerks!" Jaden pounded his fist on the lunch table. "They deserve at least that much!"

While the other Slifer students burst into chatter, a familiar pair of evil smiles unrolled themselves on Weevil and Rex's faces.

"Get back at those Obelisks, huh?" Weevil said first.

"If it's pranks you want," Rex said, cracking his fingers, "it's pranks _they'll_ get! Hey Jaden!"

The chatter suddenly stopped. "…Yeah?"

"We've got a plan."

Saturday, 1:00pm. Obelisk Blue dorm. By then, it had stopped raining.

_All right. Remain cool…remain cool…_

The plan was simple: get in, steal those Obelisks' uniforms (and Sy's cards, if he could find them), and get out. What would happen to the uniforms was up to the Slifers: specifically Weevil and Rex. Jaden managed to infiltrate the Obelisk Blue dorm by wearing Syrus' Obelisk coat. But that wasn't enough. He had to wrap up his hair with a white bandanna provided by Blair and his eyes were hidden by a pair of round sunglasses provided by another Slifer student. The important thing Jaden had to remember was to remain casual. Of course Jaden, being who he is, was anything _but_ casual.

A little ways into the Blue Dorm, Jaden saw another Obelisk student heading his way and had to duck behind a nearby wall. He took out his PDA and started to enter something.

_I'm inside the Obelisk Dorm. I'm feeling a bit shaken and Sy's jacket's making me chafe._

Jaden waited a bit before he received a reply from Weevil on his PDA. _Roger. You know what to do. And by the way, remain calm at __all __times._

Jaden smiled sheepishly. _Come on, guys. You know me!_

_That's what I'm afraid of!_

Jaden pocketed his PDA without another reply. He continued his trek down the path to the boys' living quarters. He suddenly stiffened up when he saw Torimaki and Mototani heading his way, but kept walking right between them nonetheless. He nearly got his glasses knocked off when Mototani bumped into him, but Jaden barely managed to keep his disguise in order.

"That look odd to you?" Torimaki asked.

"Nope," Mototani answered.

"You know what they got for lunch?"

"I heard it was roast beef or something like that."

Jaden wiped his brow as soon as they were out of sight. "Whew…that was close…And how come _they_ get roast beef?!"

"Excuse me!"

Jaden tensed up again. That was Dr. Crowler's voice just around the corner. Jaden peeked around and saw him chewing out none other than Sara Sanderling. It seems she had finally gotten her pigtails back up again.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?!" Dr. Crowler snapped.

"I only came in here to read," Sara responded quietly. "The girls' dorm is much too stuffy and I keep falling asleep. Is this a problem?"

"Well, regardless visiting the boys' dorm without my OK is strictly forbidden. I'll allow it this time, but don't let it happen again!" Jaden took this opportunity to tiptoe "inconspicuously" past them. "And you!" Jaden froze, turning his gaze towards Dr. Crowler. Sara simply stared at him and Jaden wondered if she could see right through his disguise.

"What's with those bandages on your head, young man?" Dr. Crowler asked.

"Oh, uh…" Jaden cleared his throat and deepened his voice just a little. "I…uh…got injured during P.E. class…uh…Doctor." He noticed Sara narrowing her eyes and flinched.

"Oh, I see," Dr. Crowler said. "Carry on."

Jaden continued walking and nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Now, as I was saying…" Dr. Crowler started, but he noticed that Sara had somehow disappeared. He looked around frantically, wondering just what it was with kids these days.

_All right. I found the first room,_ Jaden entered in his PDA. It was lucky for him that Torimaki and Mototani had walked past him just minutes ago.

_Good. Now hurry up and find his uniform!_

Jaden suddenly tensed up and turned around slowly when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He was met by Sara's penetrating blue eyes.

"Can I…" Jaden stopped to clear his throat. "Can I help you with something?"

"What are you doing, Jaden?"

His sunglasses seemed to slip right off of his face and his brown eyes twitched in embarassment. "How did you know it was me?!" Jaden whispered.

"Your disguise was pathetic," Sara answered. "Did you think that just because Dr. Crowler was so easy to fool, I would be the same? Besides, the jacket is too small for you. It would be better suited for, say, your little friend?"

"You mean Syrus?"

"I heard about the incident last night," Sara explained. "Those morons were actually bragging about it. So what do you plan to do? Get some payback for the boy somehow?"

"Uh…no! Of course not!" Jaden said with a little laugh. "That would just be weird!"

"You shouldn't lie to me, Jaden," Sara said, backing Jaden against the door. Despite her short stature, she was definitely scarier than Dr. Crowler. "Whatever you're planning…"

"You can't tell Dr. Crowler about this!" Jaden said out of sudden impulse. "If anything, he should at least know about those guys throwing poor Sy out into the mud!"

"Actually, I was going to provide you with some assistance."

* * *

Duo: Ooh! Looks like Sara's gonna get into this too. Wonder how far exactly this little prank is gonna go. 

Weevil: Come closer and I'll tell you! -whisper, whisper-

Duo: Oh? This is gonna be so good! Next chapter: **Best Served Cold.**

Rex: She totally wants you!

Weevil: That's it! You're dead meat!

Sara: ...Boys.

Duo: Oh, and in case you're wondering about the PDAs, the way I see it, they probably have a text option for more "down low" type messages.


	31. Best Served Cold

Chapter 31 – Best Served Cold

"Uh…Come again?"

"One," Sara said, holding up her index finger, "I can't stand it when people are abandoned. Two (two fingers), whatever you're planning may scar those Obelisk boys in more ways than one. Three (three fingers), and to put it bluntly, they had it coming."

Jaden blinked. "Huh? You got some kind of grudge against those guys?"

"You could say that," Sara continued." It seems they are quite notorious for pulling horrible stunts. Aren't you a third year, Jaden? Surely you know…"

"About the P.A. incident?" Jaden spoke up, seemingly out of nowhere. This, of course, was about a time in Jaden's freshman year when "someone" snuck into the Chancellor's Office and blew a rather loud raspberry into the P.A. Jaden specifically remembered laughing so hard, he actually fell off his chair. "I was wondering who that was. How do you know about that?"

"I've heard about it from your friend, Alexis Rhodes," Sara continued. "But it hasn't stopped there. I…actually caught one of them trying to steal my underwear." This comment caused Jaden to crash to the floor.

"They took your underwear?!" Jaden shouted, immediately covering his mouth afterward. But it was too late.

"What's all that ruckus?!" Crowler's voice boomed.

"It's Crowler!" Jaden panicked. "I gotta hide somewhere!"

"In here. Quick!" Sara opened the door behind Jaden, dragged him in, and slammed it behind her. And only seconds after, Dr. Crowler glanced around that exact hall for the noise.

"Hmph." Dr. Crowler scowled before walking away. "Blasted air vents."

"That was close," Sara said with her back against the door. After being dragged into the room so roughly, however, Jaden had fallen on the floor with his butt in the air and his head under someone's bed. He pulled his head out and somehow found a card lodged into his bandanna.

"Ah…" Jaden took the card out and looked at it. "It's Cycroid! This is one of Sy's cards!"

"I thought they'd be in here," Sara said. "We're in Dalton's room."

Dalton's room looked a lot messier than Chazz's old room or even Syrus' room. Clothes were strewn about, as well as various books, Duel Monsters cards, and some sort of handheld gaming system. However, Jaden wasn't paying attention to this. He was still searching under Dalton's bed, procuring more cards.

"Steamroid, Vehicroid Connection Zone, Cyber Summon Blaster, they're all down here!" Jaden said happily. "Still, I can't believe they'd be dumb enough to keep them all in one…wait."

"What's wrong?"

Jaden searched through Syrus' deck several times, but the results were the same. "This can't be right…I can't find Power Bond!"

"One of the other two must have it," Sara suggested. "Odds are they might even have it in one of their decks. They must've taken out the rarest card in the boy's deck."

Jaden clenched his fist and punched the floor. "I can't believe those guys! I can't let them get away with this!"

"You can have your tantrum later," Sara said. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Oh, right! We're going to steal their uniforms to get back at them!"

"And what are you going to do with them?"

"Uh…" Jaden scratched his head. "…I can't remember. Practical jokes aren't exactly my thing, so…I guess we're leaving it to Weevil and Rex." Sara's brow twitched after hearing Weevil's name. "Actually, it was their idea…Sara?"

Sara simply stared into space for a little while and touched her thumb to her lip. For some reason, she remembered how bitter Weevil's blood tasted. Much like iron.

"Earth to Sara!"

Sara came back to Earth at the sound of Jaden's voice as though just realizing he was there. "I'll head outside. Get Dalton's jacket, throw it out the window and I'll pick it up. Torimaki and Mototani's jackets should be in their room somewhere."

"But I don't…"

"The two of them are roommates, and their room is 221. I don't need to tell you, but watch out for Dr. Crowler. And by the way, you never saw me."

Jaden blinked. "Oh. Okay." He then pushed the door open a little bit and looked in both directions. There seemed to be no sign of Dr. Crowler anywhere nearby. "Hurry up and get outside!"

Sara stepped out first calmly and carefully, glancing around still for any sign of Crowler. She then closed the door quietly while Jaden went to Dalton's closet. As soon as he opened the closet door, his nose was immediately bombarded by the stench of what was assumed to be dirty socks and, for some reason, moth balls. Regardless, Jaden held his nose and quickly found Dalton's blue blazer in the closet, grabbed it, and slammed the door shut. He then went over to Dalton's window and shoved it open before throwing out the jacket. It made a nice arc before hitting the ground with a 'plop'. After checking the halls, Jaden then went over to Room 221 where Torimaki and Mototani resided. He was thankful that the two hadn't come back from lunch yet and even more so that their room was somewhat cleaner than Dalton's. Jaden quickly found their jackets and threw them out that window as well. He peeked out their door one more time before rushing back out. Jaden put his sunglasses back on and headed back outside, but not before colliding with something hard and falling on his butt.

"Excuse me."

That was Wesley's voice. Jaden watched with his sunglasses askew as Wesley strolled right past him, as though Jaden didn't even exist. Jaden quickly straightened himself out and ran out of the dorm as quick as he could.

"No running!" Dr. Crowler yelled.

After getting back outside, Jaden checked around the Blue dorm for any sign of…

"I'm over here."

Jaden turned around and saw Sara peeking out from around the corner of the dorm. He quickly ran over.

"Let's get outta here!" said Jaden.

About halfway back to the Red Dorms…

"I'm sorry, but this is as far as I go," Sara said. "It would be suspicious if we were both spotted heading for the Slifer Dorms, especially since you're not really an Obelisk. You're on your own from here."

Jaden blinked as Sara walked away. "Uh…okay. Thanks for the help!" Jaden started to head the rest of the way to the Slifer Dorms…

"Wait."

Jaden stopped. He turned to look at the back of Sara's head.

"I heard about your duel…with that ghost…"

"Yeah? What about it?"

Sara blushed a bit and couldn't exactly bring her words out. "Forget it. It's nothing." She continued to walk back. Jaden merely shrugged and continued on to the Red Dorms.

"I don't think I'll _ever_ understand girls."

Minutes later…

Jaden headed back to his room and slammed the door, waking Syrus (who was napping on his top bunk) abruptly. Syrus groggily rubbed his eyes.

"Is that you, Jaden?"

"Get the others, Sy," Jaden said, plopping the stolen goods on the floor. "We've got work to do!"

Syrus blinked. "Did you just say 'we've got work to do'?"

Jaden scratched his head. "I guess I did. That didn't sound right. Anyway, let's find the others!"

Later…

"I don't believe this!"

Torimaki and Mototani had practically torn their room in half trying to find their missing jackets.

"How did we lose our jackets?!" Mototani yelled.

"Don't ask questions," Torimaki shouted back. "Just keep searching!"

Suddenly, in all their digging, a beeping sound was suddenly heard. Torimaki took his PDA off his desk and pressed a button. There was some sort of static on the screen and the voice was deep and warped.

"We have your clothes. They will be returned in pristine order. But in exchange, we want that Power Bond card. Meet us in front of the Slifer Red dorms at 6:00 tonight or your jackets are no more."

Torimaki's grip tightened on his PDA. "Slifers…"

Slifer Red Dorms. 6:05.

Chazz and the others watched from the balcony as Jaden (back in his red jacket) and Syrus decided to be the negotiators for the trade. Weevil and Rex were also up in the balcony, holding a box assumed to contain the pilfered jackets. They watched with bated breath as their devious plan waited to come to fruition.

"They're late," Chazz said.

"Calm down, man," Rex replied. "It's just by a few minutes."

Eventually, Torimaki and Mototani were seen heading their way. Syrus had to swallow the lump in his throat as they ventured closer.

_I hope this works, _Syrus thought.

"You done went through a lot just for one rare card, ya Slifer twerps," Torimaki said with a snide tone.

"It's not just the card," Jaden said. "If we give you your jackets back, you have to let Sy back into the Obelisk dorm, too."

"That's over the line!" Mototani retaliated.

"That's too bad," Jaden said with a shrug. "Weevil, tell our friends here what happens if they don't agree to our terms."

"It's quite simple, really!" Weevil shouted from the balcony. "If they don't agree, then we throw your nice jackets into the ocean! It's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from here after all!"

"You think we're stupid or something?!" Torimaki yelled. "How do we even know you have them right now?!"

Weevil sighed and opened the box. He only pulled out one of the jackets by just a little bit. They seemed to be in perfect condition, at least from the front. "Satisfied now?!"

Torimaki and Mototani both glared at Weevil as he smirked right back.

"You see, there's a difference between us," Syrus said. "I once said I'm still a Slifer at heart. Because of this, I've got my good friends at Slifer Red to back me up whenever I'm in a jam. In fact, this whole thing wouldn't have even been possible without them!"

"Not only that," Professor Autumn's sultry voice suddenly spoke up, "but you also have me to deal with as well." Everyone stared as she stepped between Jaden and Syrus. "I could tell Dr. Crowler about what you did any time I want."

The two flinched and blushed at the same time when Professor Autumn winked at them. Not even a couple of Obelisk students should be stupid enough to mess with a teacher, even if she is the headmistress of Slifer Red.

"All right, fine," Mototani said. "The shrimp can have his room back."

"And?" Professor Autumn raised an eyebrow.

Torimaki had to turn his head. "And he can have Zane's card back…even though he doesn't deserve it."

"Good!" Syrus grinned widely. "Now put my card down on the ground and back off!"

Torimaki and Mototani both stepped forward, mumbling about how "he wouldn't be so smug without that Obelisk Blazer" among other things. Torimaki took the Power Bond card out of his pocket and put it face up on the ground before stepping back. Syrus immediately went to pick it up.

"Well?" Jaden asked.

"It's the real thing!" Syrus said, showing the card to Jaden.

"All right, guys," Jaden hollered to the balcony. "You heard the man. Let 'em have it!"

Weevil and Rex immediately threw the box into the air, with a little help from Chazz, and it slammed into Torimaki, sending him careening back a bit. However, upon opening the box, an obnoxious green odor rose from within. He dropped it with an incensed wrinkle on his face, causing the Syrus and the other Slifers to laugh hysterically.

"Aw, nasty!" Torimaki said, holding his nose. "What did you do to our jackets?!"

"You said they'd be returned in pristine order!" Mototani said, backing away from the box.

"We don't even know what 'pristine' means!" Rex said, trying to catch his breath. "We just kept them buried in the garbage the entire afternoon! And this is Slifer quality garbage, just so you know!"

"You got your jackets back," Chazz shouted, "so you chumps can leave now!"

"This is disgusting!"

"We gotta get these washed!"

Torimaki and Mototani both ran off carrying the box, trying to keep as much distance between it and them as possible while the Slifers kept laughing. But what they didn't realize was that Weevil and Rex added a little something extra: they used liquid bleach to write "KICK ME" on the backs of all three jackets!

"Thanks for your help, Jaden," Syrus said, wiping his eyes.

"Don't thank me," Jaden said, turning to the balcony. "Thank Weevil and Rex for such a great prank!"

Chazz suddenly cleared his throat. "Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, that trick was underhanded, cruel, and most of all, disgusting. You guys rock!"

Weevil and Rex's grins nearly stretched right off their faces.

"Oh yeah," Jaden suddenly said. "I guess you have that weird Sara girl to thank too, Sy. She helped me find their dorm rooms."

Weevil's grin faded little by little. Sara knew about this? Wasn't she an Obelisk too? What was she thinking? And why was Weevil so concerned about _her_ all of a sudden?!

"By the way, Jaden," Professor Autumn said with a glance, "weren't you supposed to do something else today?"

Jaden smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh yeah! The Shadow Pendant!"

* * *

Duo-san: Whew! Took me forever to decide what to do with those jackets.

Rex: So what's on tap next chapter?

Duo-san: Uh...let's see here. -checks footnotes- There's another attack! This time on a student!

Jaden: You're kidding! Who's getting it this time?

Duo-san: ...I dunno.

Weevil: You do know! You're just not allowed to tell us!

Duo-san: ...

Weevil: ...Oh.

Next chapter: **Below the Belt**


	32. Below the Belt

Let us continue.

Chapter 32 – Below the Belt

Sometime around 6:30pm. The hospital room.

Jaden, Syrus, Weevil, and Rex were once again in Chancellor Sheppard's room along with Professor Autumn. Judging by his complexion, Sheppard seemed to be recovering at a steady rate. Even the bandages around his head were removed, but now a large lump on his head could be noticed. Jaden had just finished telling him about the Shadow Game and Sheppard himself was holding the Shadow Pendant before his eyes.

"I see," Sheppard said. "This is much more serious than I thought."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah, these spirit things could pop up from out of nowhere _anywhere_," Rex added.

Chancellor Sheppard had to think for a moment. "Before this happens again, I'm going to have to put the school on high alert. Autumn?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to go to my office and inform the students and faculty of my decision over the PA. They are to wear their duel disks at all times. Understand?"

"Yes, Chancellor," Autumn said with a polite bow.

"By the way, Chancellor," Jaden said, "how are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm certainly better than I was a few days ago. Still, I won't have enough strength to walk for another couple of days or so. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for my medicine!"

"Do you want me to get Ms. Fontaine?" Syrus asked.

"No thanks," Sheppard said with a grin. "I found someone even better."

And at that exact moment, the door opened and in walked Ms. Dorothy wearing a skimpy nurse outfit (not _that_ skimpy, mind you), carrying a tray with a medicine bottle and a box of gauze.

"Who's ready for their checkup??" Dorothy sung.

The expressions of shock on Jaden, Sy, Weevil and Rex's faces were indescribable. The only ones who weren't horrified were Chancellor Sheppard, who was smiling like five-year-old in a candy shop, and Professor Autumn, who put her fingers to her forehead and let out a strained sigh.

"I'll thank you kindly to leave now," Sheppard said, still grinning widely. "I'll hold onto the Shadow Pendant for now."

Everyone else immediately went out of the room and shut the door. No one really wanted to see what would happen next.

"Well," Autumn stopped to push up her glasses, "I'm going to deliver that announcement. You kids better head back to your dorms. Mr. Truesdale?"

"Yes?"

"Let me know if anything happens." Autumn winked before trotting off to Sheppard's office, making Syrus blush again.

"Well, you heard the man," Jaden said. "Let's get our Duel Disks pronto!"

Jaden and the others immediately ran off, but Rex slowed down and snuck back to peek into the hospital room window. He immediately felt a sweat drop on the back of his head and as the color faded from his face, more and more sweatdrops formed. He then ran off clutching his eyes.

"AUGH! THAT'S NOT RIGHT!" (A/N: Dorothy is simply taking off Sheppard's bandages. A bloody job, yes. THAT'S. ALL.)

Elsewhere, within the depths of Academy Island…

The song on the radio is "Tell Me Something Good." A certain lazy Obelisk was lying back in the sand with his hands under his head, moving his foot to the music. He smiled and stared blankly at the artificial sky as the transparent form of Mokey Mokey floated past his field of vision. His eyes had almost closed completely when he heard a knocking at his door.

"Huh?" Belowski slowly got to his feet and shuffled his way over to the door. When he opened it, there was no one there. He looked around for a bit and before he could close the door, he turned and saw something hiding and shaking under a tattered cloth, huddled up by the radio.

"Heeeey, what's shakin'? Welcome to the party, dude!" Belowski continued to grin his own goofy grin as he approached the mass under the cloth. Whatever or whomever was under that thing must've been scared.

"How'd you get in here anyway, dude?" When Belowski reached to pull off the cloth, he was suddenly confronted by a pair of glowing red eyes and, for some reason, a glint of gold. And that would be the last thing he saw as he fell asleep…

"Attention all students and Duel Academy personnel: This is Professor Sharon Autumn, speaking for Chancellor Sheppard. Be on the lookout for any strange duelists that look like Duel Monsters and make sure to wear your Duel Disk at all times. This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill. Thank you."

Naturally, the students were skeptical of Professor Autumn's warning, but around half of them soon remembered the rumors about Jaden's Shadow Duel and scrambled back to their respective dorms to gather their Duel Disks and reorganize their decks. Jaden, Weevil, and Rex, of course, were already the first (Syrus went back to the Obelisk Blue dorm instead).

"All right, guys," Jaden said, pointing dramatically. "Let's find us some Duel Monster spirits!"

A chorus of crickets sounded as a reply.

"Do you even know where to find them?" Rex asked bluntly.

"No clue," Jaden answered with a sweat drop.

"You poser," Weevil said just as bluntly. He suddenly heard a giggling from his Duel Disk. "Huh?"

At that same time, Jaden heard a familiar cooing sound. "Kuriboh?"

And before they knew it, both the spirits of Winged Kuriboh and Prickle Fairy had materialized before their eyes.

"It's you!" Weevil shouted.

"Winged Kuriboh!" Jaden shouted.

"What? What's going on?!" It was rather evident that Rex was still unable to see monster spirits, but judging by the strained look on his face, he was trying desperately at least to hear them. Nor was he able to see that Prickle Fairy and Winged Kuriboh had just dashed off. "Wait! Where are you guys going?!"

After a few minutes of chasing, Jaden and the others found the two spirits by an underground door which had been lifted up. Jaden couldn't believe his eyes.

"Where's this go to?" Weevil asked.

"…Not sure," Jaden said before Prickle Fairy and Winged Kuriboh proceeded down a hidden stairwell while Jaden and the others followed. The stairs lead to a hallway where the walls were lined with steel and steam spurted from a few of the valves down there. Weevil was already sweating barely halfway there.

"It's hotter than Professor Autumn down here!" Weevil said, tugging on his collar.

"No kidding." Rex took off his hat and stuffed it in his pocket. "Where are we anyway?"

"I think we're in the sewers," Jaden said, taking off his jacket and tying it around his waist, "but I don't see any water…"

Jaden could hear Winged Kuriboh's cooing and continued to lead the others down the pathway. Weevil and Rex couldn't help but gaze around at the place in wonder. Eventually, they reached a door, at which point, Winged Kuriboh and Prickle Fairy disappeared. Jaden pushed open the door and…

"Whoa…"

This was the reaction from all three of them when they came upon a supposed island paradise _under_ a much larger island (Academy Island itself). The clouds and the sky painted on the walls were amazingly realistic and for some reason, the huge palm tree was swaying with _no wind_ whatsoever. What really caught their attention was the kid in the messed up blue blazer lying in the sand face down. Jaden immediately ran over to turn him over only to find that his eyes were half open and completely blank.

"Belowski!"

"Belowski?!" Weevil and Rex's jaws hung wide open.

* * *

Duo-san: Just for the record, "Tell Me Something Good" was the only "hippie" music I could think of. Anyway, in the next chapter... 

Belowski: Yo, what's up?

Duo-san: -clears throat- In the next chapter, Belowski gets taken to the hospital room...

Belowski: Dude, have you ever looked up at the clouds?

Duo-san: -yawn- ...but, y'know, there's another duel going on right outside...

Belowski: They really look like Duel Monsters, y'know?

Author: -BIG yawn- ...I can't do this...I'm too tired...

Belowski: That's okay, bro. I'll take over. The next chapter is called **Critical Condition.** Bodacious, dude.

Author: Wake me when it gets good. -head hits keyboard- Zzzzzzz…


	33. Critical Condition

Chapter 33 – Critical Condition

The boys had burst back into the hospital room with Belowski hiked up on Jaden's back. Thankfully, Chancellor Sheppard's bandages were changed by the time they got back.

"What happened?" Sheppard asked.

"Here's what happened!" Jaden immediately plopped Belowski on a separate bed. His eyes were still wide and blank, but now a trickle of drool seemed to cascade from his mouth. "We found him like this underground."

"Belowski?!" There was no denying that Sheppard was genuinely shocked. "But…I don't understand. How did you find his private dorm??"

"We had some help," Weevil said with a sweatdrop. He wasn't sure whether Sheppard believed in spirits or not. "Wait. Did you say private dorm?!"

"How come he gets a private dorm?!" Rex said angrily.

"I don't think this is the issue right now," Jaden said with a sweatdrop.

Chancellor Sheppard merely sighed. "I'm sure you've both figured out by now that Belowski isn't normal ("No kidding," Rex and Weevil said in unison). Ever since we found him, Belowski had this unusual power to drain a person's energy just by being around them. Without proper precautions, a person could fall asleep in minutes just from a simple conversation."

Weevil and Rex both gulped. They had no idea that weird hippie kid had such unusual power. But why hadn't they fallen asleep?

"However," Sheppard continued, "it has come to my attention that someone or _something_ has put a damper on Belowski's exhaustion power. That's why he was able to come to classes like a normal student now. Until then, he was privately tutored by Dr. Crowler in that underground 'paradise' he calls."

"So what happened to him?" Jaden asked.

"That's what I'm going to find out," Ms. Fontaine said, coming into the room. "Sorry, but I heard the whole conversation. I'll check his vitals right away."

The others watched as Ms. Fontaine turned Belowski face up on the bed. She put her fingers on the side of his neck, then on the underside of his wrists. She then let out a heavy sigh.

"This is bad. His pulse has stopped completely."

Jaden and the others waited right outside the hospital room as Ms. Fontaine continued to look for a cause of Belowski's "illness." It was 8:00pm by then and the sun was just about completely set.

"Maybe it was another monster spirit that did this," Rex said.

"You think so?" Jaden asked. "It would explain what was going on with my Winged Kuriboh."

"Yeah, my Prickle Fairy, too," Weevil said, pushing up his glasses.

"Think we should go back down and look?" Rex asked.

"I can't think of any other ideas," Jaden said.

The boys had just started to walk away from the hospital room when Weevil suddenly pressed his face against a window. "Hey! Check that out!"

Jaden and Rex spun around and ran back to the window. On the ground below, right outside the main entrance were two people engaged in a duel. Or rather, one girl and one tiny toddler looking thing wrapped in a black cloak with some sort of golden headband wrapped around its head.

"Is that it?" Jaden asked. "Tiny, ain't it?"

"Hey, Rex," Weevil said. "Look who it's dueling!"

Rex suddenly pressed his face against the glass. "It's Ichigo!"

The girl mentioned earlier was, in fact, Ichigo June. She was now down to 800 Life Points with Harpie Lady 3 (1300/1400) in Defense Mode and two cards face down. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open and some of her hair clips had fallen to the ground. The little toddler spirit had no monsters on the field, but one card face down. He only had 2500 Life Points remaining.

"You've made your last mistake, little one," the spirit said. "First, I'll summon Byser Shock (800/600) in Attack Mode!"

A huge electrical torture machine appeared on the field. The waves of energy it produced were seriously warped.

"And thanks to my Byser Shock's ability, when it is summoned to the field, all face down cards return to our respective hands."

Ichigo's two face down cards returned to her hand as well as the one card on the spirit's field returning to his hand.

"So what?" Ichigo said, huffing a bit to get the words out. "You just made an even bigger mistake of leaving the weaker monster in Attack Mode."

"Things are not always as they seem. I placed Byser Shock into Attack Mode in order to activate its ability. The real shocker is what's returned to my hand!" The spirit slowly turned his card around…

Ichigo was stunned. "Y-You have a Change of Heart card?"

"Hypnosis was always my specialty," the spirit said. "Weak-minded souls are so easy to control and when I play this card, the same can be said for your Harpie Lady!"

"N-No!" Ichigo's eyes widened in shock.

"I activate the Spell Change of Heart! Now, Harpie Lady 3, betray your master and come to me!"

Harpie Lady 3's eyes went blank as she pessimistically flew over to the other side of the field and stood next to Byser Shock. Ichigo looked like she was about to cry.

"Harpie Lady 3, attack your master now! Harpie Claw Slash!"

Harpie Lady 3 flew into the sky, making a cool silhouette against the orange sunset sky before coming down and divebombing Ichigo, slashing her right across the chest, reducing her Life Points to zero.

"My Harpies…all of them…" Ichigo sobbed as the spirit approached her with a fanged smile. "W-What are you…?"

"Your soul now belongs to Red-Moon Baby!" The spirit's eyes glowed red and within seconds, Ichigo lay sprawled back on the ground, her pink hair draped over her face.

"No! We're too late!"

Red-Moon Baby turned around to the sound of Jaden's shouting. Even for a spirit so tiny, Red-Moon Baby's glare made the boys stop in their tracks. "You shouldn't interrupt someone during a meal."

"What did you do to Ichigo?!" Rex yelled angrily.

Red-Moon Baby smirked. "Oh, just about the same thing I did to that boy a while back. Perhaps you know him?"

The boys' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He was talking about Belowski! Wait…Does that mean…?

"See for yourself," Red-Moon Baby said, stepping to the side. "I'll allow it."

Rex was the first to sprint ahead and kneel down beside Ichigo. Her body was completely motionless after the duel. He turned her head to face him and he noticed her eyes were completely blank. This could only mean one thing.

"You…you didn't…" Rex clenched his teeth.

"Her soul made a rather thin meal," Red-Moon Baby said, wiping his mouth. "She barely put any strength into her dueling at all. She didn't even get me down to half my Life Points. But I'll give her this much…she certainly was sweet!"

Rex clenched his fist as Red-Moon Baby laughed a rather screechy laugh. For some reason, Weevil couldn't help but wonder what was going through Rex's head.

"Rex?" Weevil asked as Rex grinded his teeth. "Uh…Rex? You okay?"

And before anyone knew it, Rex had gotten to his feet and snarled angrily. Red-Moon Baby couldn't help but take a glance in his direction.

"Something troubles you?"

Rex pointed angrily at the sadistic little beast. "You! Me! Duel! NOW!"

* * *

Well, how about that? I'm finally caught up with my current chapter. Unfortunately, I've gotta put the fic on hiatus for the next chapter. Duels are really hard to do. Especially when I'm not sure how to describe a specific monster.

Now, in case you don't know, Red-Moon Baby is unique. It's got really low Attack and Defense, but a great effect: when it attacks and destroys a monster, the monster goes to its opponent's field instead of to the Graveyard. I hope I described that right.


	34. Rex VS Red Moon Baby

Sorry about the wait. What had happened was I got this new USB drive and I kept losing my saved progress so I had to redo a certain part a couple of times.

Chapter 34 – Rex VS Red-Moon Baby

Red-Moon Baby narrowed his eyes at Rex as though he were "touched in the head" or something like that.

"I'm sorry. I don't speak imbecile." Red-Moon Baby turned to walk away…

"I'll bet your mama does," Rex mumbled, apparently loud enough to make Baby spin around on the spot.

"WHAT?!"

Rex sneered. "Yo mama's so fat, she looks like she's smuggling a Volkswagen!"

Red-Moon Baby glared angrily at Rex and bared his fangs. "Shut up…"

"Rex?" Weevil started, nervously. "You really wanna make him angry?"

"Yo mama's so dumb, she actually tripped over a cordless phone!"

Baby's red eyes glinted for a split-second as he stomped toward Rex. "Shut your mouth…" An image flashed through his mind of a woman in a red gown holding him in her arms.

Rex knew he had touched a sensitive point. _Just a little more…_

"SHUT UP!" Baby screeched as he came charging at Rex as fast as his little legs could take him. He was stopped short, however, when Rex yanked him up by his hood. But that didn't stop him from flailing angrily.

"Heh heh. Look at him wiggle," Rex said with a smirk. This smirk, however, was replaced almost immediately by a scream of pain when Baby sank his sharp little teeth into Rex's arm, forcing Rex to drop him immediately ("The little rat bit my arm!"). Baby then ran back to Ichigo's body.

"You obviously forget that her soul is under my care," Baby said, angrily. "I could just dispose of her body right now!"

"You need to grow up, punk!" Rex snarled before grabbing his arm in pain.

"You all right, Rex?" Jaden asked.

"I'd better not be bleeding," Rex grumbled, rolling up his sleeve. He was, in fact, not bleeding.

"If you want to duel so bad," Baby continued, "then let's make things interesting. Ichigo?"

Ichigo's shoulder twitched. Everyone watched in shock as she slowly pushed herself off the ground.

"Ichigo!" Jaden started, but his grin slowly faded.

Ichigo stood up in a hunched position and refused to lift her head.

"Keeee he he he he!" Baby laughed evilly. "Do you like it? It's my special ability! Once I defeat my enemies, I can take control of them! Humans, monsters, they're all the same to me!"

Weevil flinched. "Wait a minute. Does that mean…?"

Back upstairs, Nurse Fontaine was doing everything she could for the still unconscious Belowski. Chancellor Sheppard, being right next to them, couldn't help but watch. He was still the headmaster of the school and he was in charge of the welfare of his students.

"How is he, Ms. Fontaine?" Sheppard asked.

"I have no idea," Fontaine replied with a worried tone. "I'm not picking up any vital signs from any part of his body. For all I know, he could be dead…"

"I doubt that," Sheppard said, making Fontaine look his way.

"W-What makes you say that?"

"Because his hand is moving."

True enough, Belowski's left hand was moving, albeit rather slowly.

"Well…that is a sign," Fontaine said, "but these monitors aren't picking up anything."

"Perhaps it is because…" Sheppard stopped. The entire room went silent when Belowski slowly got up. Like Ichigo, his hair also covered his eyes.

"Mr. Belowski!" Fontaine shouted in delight. "We were worried sick about you. What happened?"

No response. However, a wicked smile uncurled on Belowski's face.

"I don't really like violence," Red-Moon Baby said, wiping his mouth, "so I will have little Ichigo duel for me. I will be making all the decision making, however. She will simply play with my cards." Baby took Ichigo by the arm and pulled her deck out of her disk. Everyone watched in shock as he threw her cards into the wind. He then replaced them with his own deck.

"I'll go check on Belowski!" Jaden said. "You get Ichigo's cards!"

Jaden headed back towards the Academy's main facility. Weevil and Rex started to run after Ichigo's deck, most of which flew high in the wind, but they were stopped short when Ichigo stood right in front of them. Her head was still bent down.

"Ichigo…" Rex said, looking a bit worried.

"You will do no such thing," Baby said, rubbing his hands together. "If you really want those cards, you'll have to duel my little servant first. Oh yes. This will be a very interesting Shadow Game indeed. Keeee he he he he!"

"Yeah, well if I win, you gotta give Ichigo and Belowski their souls back!" Rex shouted.

"Two souls?" Baby blinked. "Very well, but if I win, I get to add you to my puppet collection, as well as your buggy friend over there."

"Who?" Weevil asked, looking around stupidly a bit before realization hit him in the face. "Wait, ME?!"

"An eye for an eye," Baby said, sneering. "A soul for a soul. Are you willing to risk the life of your friend?"

Weevil anxiously waved his hands for a "no"…

"Just bring it, little man."

…then crashed to the ground. He then got up and straightened his glasses. "You'd better not screw this up, Rex!"

"I'm not gonna lose, Weevil…" Rex started, "…not if you're willing to give me a little edge."

Weevil narrowed his eyes a bit more than usual. "I have no idea what his deck is made of but…" He searched his deck and took out a card. "…try using this."

Rex looked at the card and whistled. "I think I just will." He then shuffled the card into his deck before activating the Duel Disk. "Now bring it on!"

"Consider it brought!" Baby said as Ichigo activated her Duel Disk.

"DUEL!"

Both duelists Life Points were set to 4000.

"Why don't you go first, tough guy?" Rex said, drawing five cards.

"You heard the man. Draw, Ichigo." Ichigo drew a card from her deck and added it to her hand. Red-Moon Baby had to float over Ichigo's shoulder to get a good look at her hand. "Let's start by playing the Spell, Card Destruction! We must now send our hands to the Graveyard and draw new cards equal to the ones we tossed out."

"I know how Card Destruction works!" Rex snarled as he discarded his hand and drew five cards. Ichigo did the same with her six cards.

"Now that that's taken care of," Baby said, "let's summon Dragon Zombie (1600/0) in Attack Mode!"

The earth's surface cracked and a repulsive looking dragon with decayed purple scales crawled onto the field. Green slime drooled from its mouth.

"Then set a card face down and end turn."

Rex seemed a little unnerved. Ichigo still hadn't lifted up her head. Regardless, Rex drew a card from his deck and looked at it._Shoot. No Gilasaurus this time._ "I'm gonna play Armored Lizard (1500/1200) in Attack Mode!"

A blue reptilian monster emerged onto the field, brandishing its claws.

"Then I play," Rex continued, "the Spell card, Ultra Evolution Pill! With this, I can evolve a reptile monster into a dino! So let's send my Armored Lizard to the Graveyard first!" Armored Lizard disappeared in a curtain of pixilated light. "Then, I'll call out Frostosaurus!"

Onto the field stomped a huge dinosaur completely covered in a coat of solid ice. Frostosaurus growled, making its cold breath visible. Red-Moon Baby didn't seem impressed.

"Go, Frostosaurus!" Rex ordered. "Sub-Zero Body Slam!"

Frostosaurus bellowed as it stomped toward Dragon Zombie. However…

"Now, girl! Activate Waboku!" Red-Moon Baby yelled. Ichigo pressed a button on her Duel Disk to raise a face-down card. This caused Frostosaurus to come to, literally, a crashing halt.

"He…I mean, she stopped my attack," Rex growled. "Fine. I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

"Good boy. Now draw, girl!" Ichigo drew a card and Baby looked at it. "Goody! It's my Brain Control Spell! By paying 800 Life Points, I can take control of your Frostosaurus 'til the end of this turn!" Rex and Weevil's eyes widened in shock. As Ichigo's Life points fell to 3200, a hologram of the Brain Control card appeared on the field and a pair of transparent arms stretched out of it, grabbing Frostosaurus by its long neck and dragging it to her side of the field. "Now, let's attack with Frostosaurus! Sub-Zero…"

"Forget that!" Rex raised his face-down card. "I got a trap of my own! Threatening Roar! So much for your Battle Phase. You just wasted 800 Life Points!"

"It matters little," Baby said. "The outcome will be the same, no matter what we put into it: I will win. And you will lose."

"You make it sound simple," Rex grumbled. "Now hurry up!"

"Very well," Baby continued. "I will end my turn with a face down card."

"And with that, Frostosaurus comes back to daddy. Whew." Frostosaurus stomped back to the other side, while Rex wiped his brow. He then drew his next card. "Now I'm gonna summon Crawling Dragon #2 (1600/1200) in Attack Mode!" Emerging on the field was a large dark brown reptilian monster with spikes lining its back and tail. Its teeth lined the outside of its mouth, rather than the inside. "Now, let's try this again Frostosaurus! Attack with Sub-Zero Body Slam!"

Frostosaurus bellowed again, but before it could even move, a dimensional hole opened up right in front of it, dragging it in slowly. Rex had to hold onto his hat to keep it from flying off and Weevil did the same with his glasses. "…What the crap was that?!"

"It's not much," Baby said, smugly. "It's only my Dimensional Prison Trap. When you declared an attack, I activated this to remove your monster from play."

Rex growled. _I can't risk crashing my Dragon just yet. Not only that, but I don't have any Traps or Spells to play either. _"I'll end my turn." _I just hope Jaden's having less fun than I am._

Back upstairs, Jaden was, in fact, not having fun at all. He was too busy prying a ravenous and certainly more vicious Belowski off of Fonda Fontaine who, thanks to Belowski, was on the floor backed against a wall. Jaden managed to wrench the boy off her and send him careening into the door. Belowski quickly sprang back, however and lunged at Jaden with a snarl, but Ms. Fontaine was too quick and she bashed him on the head with a lunch tray. CLANG! Belowski fell on the floor, feeling a little dizzy.

"Whew." Jaden wiped his brow. "That was close. Is everyone all right?"

"I suppose so," Sheppard said, rubbing his neck. Apparently Belowski tried to strangle him earlier. "What on Earth could've warranted this?"

"I attacked a student…" Fontaine dropped the tray and fell to her knees with a horrified look on her face.

"It's okay, Ms. Fontaine," Jaden said. "You were just trying to protect us."

"I attacked a student…"

"Hardly seems fair, doesn't it?" Baby said with a tilt of his head **(A/N: Heh. That rhymes)**. Ichigo drew her next card. "Goody! Time for Polymerization! I'll activate this Spell to fuse Dragon Zombie with the Snake Hair in my hand to create Great Mammoth of Goldfine (2200/1800)!" And while Baby was talking, he didn't notice Ichigo's hand quiver as she placed the card in the disk.

Dragon Zombie groaned out a cloud of green smoke before dissolving into ashes. From those ashes rose a huge elephant skeleton, with bones practically bleached gold presumably from decay. It let out a horrible trumpeting noise as its great feet shook the earth below them.

"Not only that, but I also play Fusion Recovery! This allows me to bring back a Fusion Material monster along with Polymerization! And now, I'll summon that monster once again! Dragon Zombie (1600/0)!"

Dragon Zombie returned to the field in attack position. And apparently, so did the smell, as the grass around it was starting to wilt.

"Go get'm, Mammoth!" Baby commanded. "Attack his Crawling Dragon!"

Great Mammoth of Goldfine trumpeted again as it charged forward and gored Crawling Dragon #2 with its horn. Crawling Dragon #2 let out a sickening growl before vanishing from the field. Rex grimaced as his Life Points dropped to 3400.

"And it doesn't stop there!" Baby continued, bouncing on his toes. "Dragon Zombie! Attack him directly! Deadly Zombie Breath!" Dragon Zombie mouth opened wide as it let loose a gust of noxious green dragon breath.

Rex had to shield himself as his Life Points dropped once again to 1800. "Aw man…" At this point, Weevil started to freak out.

"I knew it. Rex is gonna lose! I'm gonna lose my soul! Again!"

"Will you SHUT UP?!" Rex yelled at the top of his lungs.

"And with that 'pleasant' note, I will end my…hm?" Red-Moon Baby turned to see that Ichigo's whole body was shaking like a leaf. Rex's eyes widened a little when he saw this. He suddenly had an idea which made him smirk.

"What's wrong, girl? Do you not want to duel anymore?" Baby said, floating right in front of Ichigo's sullen face. "Would you rather I drink your blood and force you to fight?" Ichigo shook her head. "Then stop your quivering and DUEL!"

"What's the matter, diaper boy?" Rex said. "Losing your grip? It's better off. We all know how weak that girl is. I mean, I've beaten her before." At that point, Ichigo stopped shaking. "I mean, what makes you think this will be any different?"

Weevil got the idea immediately and said, "Yeah. That girl looks like she can't even duel her way out of a paper bag!"

Red-Moon Baby raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you're right. I should just cancel this duel and dispose of her body here and now…"

And now, Rex had to freak out. "Wha…wait! That's not what I meant!"

Rex's freak out was brought to a halt when Ichigo raised her hand and pointed at Rex, who's eyes widened again. "What? You telling me it's my move?"

Ichigo nodded. This seemed to make Red-Moon Baby frustrated. _Are you telling me that this girl's free will is that strong?_

"Fine. My draw!" Rex drew his next card. "I'm gonna play the Spell Graceful Charity! I'll draw three cards and discard two from my hand." Rex looked over his hand. There it was: Weevil's card. He then discarded two more from his hand. "Next, I'll throw two cards face down, plus a monster in Defense Mode. That ends my turn."

"Grr…draw then! I might spare you depending on your performance." Ichigo drew her next card. "No need to play anything else just yet. Now, Great Mammoth of Goldfine (2200), attack his face down monster!"

"Won't let you do that!" Rex raised one of his face-down cards. "I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device! And now your Mammoth goes bye-bye!"

Great Mammoth of Goldfine disappeared from the field. Baby put his little hand to his chin. _If he's so scared, then that monster must be rather weak. I'd better destroy it now before he tries anything foolish!_ "Dragon Zombie (1600), attack! Deadly Zombie Breath!" Dragon Zombie reared up and let loose another noxious gust. However, the blast of dragon breath seemed to be repelled, somehow, as Rex's monster appeared on the field. "WHAT?!"

"So much for your bad breath attack," Rex said. "It didn't even put a dent on my Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000). Can't say the same for your Life Points, though."

Baby growled as his Life Points fell to 2800. "It doesn't matter! Now, I'll play the Spell, Book of Moon! This allows me to remove a monster from your Graveyard. And unless I'm mistaken, one of those monsters is your precious Crawling Dragon #2!"

Rex took his monster from his graveyard and stuck it in his pocket without a word.

"Not only that, but now I can summon a Zombie monster from my graveyard. And I choose Master Kyonshee (1750/1000)!"

Emerging on the field in Attack position was a humanoid monster in blue kung fu robes. Its face was hidden by a hat and a cloth with a kanji written on it (which I cannot identify).

"And with that, I end my turn. But honestly, it's all you can do to fight back. All you can do is play high defense monsters face down and hope I crash into them. But that won't work on me twice."

"Well, so much for that." Rex drew his next card. "It's time I put my face down card into play! Call of the Haunted!"

"Eh?!" Baby recoiled in horror. "Call of the…?!"

"That's right," Rex smirked again. "With this, I can bring back a monster from my Graveyard! And I choose…Black Tyranno (2600/1800)!"

The earth crumbled and Black Tyranno emerged from the ground below, letting out a gruesome roar comparable to Dragon Zombie.

"Impossible!" Baby shouted, flailing a bit. "How did you…?!"

"Actually, it happened at the start of the duel, remember?"

Red-Moon Baby's eyes widened horribly. _Let's start by playing the Spell, Card Destruction!_ "You mean…all this time…?!"

"I've been waiting to draw Call of the Haunted since this duel started. Summoning high level monsters is easy, once they're already sent to the Graveyard!"

Baby cried silently as he bit his lip. Weevil couldn't help but laugh at him.

"HA HA HA HA HA! Rex got you good!"

"Get'm Black Tyranno! Crush his Dragon Zombie!"

Black Tyranno stomped over and crushed Dragon Zombie under its foot. Baby was nearly blown away as his Life Points dropped to 1800. Ichigo, however, did not move a muscle.

"Looks like we're tied, little man! I'll end my turn then and there."

_I can't risk leaving my monsters in Attack mode!_ Ichigo drew her next card. "Master Kyonshee! Go to Defense Mode (1000)!" Kyonshee put his hands in his sleeves. "I'll also put another monster in Defense Mode too!" Another card materialized face down on the field. _Just you wait. Once my Old Vindictive Magician is flipped face up, I'll destroy your Black Tyranno with its special surprise!_

"You can't hide from me, punk!" Rex drew his next card. "Especially with Black Tyranno's special ability! With all your monsters in Defense Mode, Black Tyranno's free to attack you directly!"

All the color faded from Red-Moon Baby's body. _I forgot about that ability!_

"Sic 'em, Tyranno!" Black Tyranno roared as it leapt right over Baby's monsters and swung its tail, slamming right into Baby _and_Ichigo! Ichigo fell on the ground face down while Baby kept rolling back and slammed into a tree. A trickle of drool escaped his mouth and his head twitched as his Life Points fell to zero.

"YEAH!" Rex shouted, but his victory celebration was cut short when Weevil tackled him to the ground. "Get off me, you freak!"

"Oh god, I almost lost hope! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"All right, fine! I won't! Just get off!"

* * *

Duo-san: For the record, the card Weevil gave him was Compulsory Evacuation Device. I was tempted to loan him Prickle Fairy, but Rex didn't have any insect monsters in his deck at all. Anyway, in the next chapter, Baby refuses to play by the rules and tries to harm Ichigo's body. But what happens when you-know-who shows up? 

????????: Haven't you disgraced me enough?


	35. The Duel is Over

I made another mistake. It was supposed to be "Book of Moon" and not "Book of Life." Sorry to whomever caught that.

Chapter 35 – The Duel is Over

As though responding to Rex's voice, Red-Moon Baby got off the tree and blinked. He shrieked angrily when he saw Rex and Weevil celebrating victory in their own special way and fell back, flailing his arms and feet like the baby he was.

"Hey!" Rex shouted. "Isn't it time you gave Ichigo and Belowski their souls back?"

Baby flinched.

"Oh yeah," Weevil said. "You did make that deal, didn't you?"

"I…I…" Baby stuttered before laying eyes on Ichigo's motionless body. He then smiled a fanged smile. "She won't need her soul once I dispose of her body!" He then took to the air and flew straight at Ichigo. And at the same time, Rex and Weevil tried to run and reach Ichigo's body first, but Baby seemed too fast. When Baby reached her, he was just about to sink his teeth into her neck when suddenly, a spindly hand yanked him up by the hood of his cloak. Baby flailed around a bit before seeing the pale face of a woman in a red gown. She looked genuinely displeased. "M…Mama…"

Weevil's eyes widened. "Mama?!"

Rex raised an eyebrow. _Well, I guess that's why he hated my insults. And what was I thinking?! This chick's built like a stick!_

"I told you I would not tolerate failure," the woman said in her cold tone. "Your punishment will be long." The woman started to walk away while carrying Red-Moon Baby by his hood.

"Wait a minute!" Rex yelled. "He's not finished here! What about…"

"Your friends' souls will return as promised. They will awaken in half an hour exactly."

"You're that 'mistress' that ghost lady mentioned, aren't you?" Weevil asked, accusingly. "Just who are you anyway?"

The woman stopped and looked back before she started to fade. "I can only tell you…that humans and spirits are not meant to coexist with one another. The time of mankind is coming to an end and monsters will rule this plane. As for my name…I am no one important."

Weevil and Rex watched quietly as the woman and Red-Moon Baby disappeared into nothingness. A few moments of silence passed before…

"So…did I miss anything?"

The tense moment was broken by none other than Jaden Yuki, who just came back.

"How's Belowski?" Rex asked.

"Well…" Jaden stopped to scratch his head. "…he's definitely a handful. Ms. Fontaine actually had to whack him on the head with a lunch tray."

"Ouch," Weevil said.

"What about Ichigo?"

"Oh yeah!" Rex and Weevil immediately ran over to Ichigo. As seen by the slow rise and fall of her body, she was definitely breathing. Rex let out a sigh of relief.

"I guess this means you won, right?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah!" Weevil said. "Rex won all right. And this lady in a red dress showed up and snatched that little monster away!"

"This mistress?"

"I guess so," Rex said.

"Wait! Did anyone get the kid's headband?"

"Headband?" Rex's eyebrows knit together. "You mean that gold thing he was wearing? Why?"

"Oh MAN!" Jaden palmed his face. "That headband was one of the Shadow Charms!" Right after that, three shouts of "I don't believe this!" were heard around the island.

Exactly thirty minutes later…

Ichigo's lashes twitched before her eyes slowly opened. She couldn't exactly see straight, but she could see a silhouette with lots of hair hovering over her. Her lips slowly curled into a weak smile. "Mokuba?"

"Uh…no?"

Her smile faded a bit. True enough, as her eyes focused a little more, Rex Raptor came into view more and more. She looked around and saw Jaden and Weevil with him as well.

"But…didn't Mokuba save me from that vampire thing?"

"Nope," Rex said, looking even more smug than usual. "I did! I dueled that little monster thing and I won."

"And I helped!" Weevil said with a little less enthusiasm. The only way he "helped" was by giving Rex his Compulsory Evacuation Device card.

Ichigo was stunned. Rex didn't seem like that kind of person. She had no idea what to say.

"By the way," Rex said, "you're welcome."

"Oh!" Ichigo felt herself turning red. "Um…thank you for saving me, Rex."

Rex grinned widely while Ichigo raised her arm with her Duel Disk attached. Her Disk was now empty.

"…Where are my cards?"

The happy moment was brought to a crashing halt when the boys leaned to look past Ichigo. She slowly turned around and screamed when she saw her cards scattered everywhere.

"WHO DID THIS?!"

"That monster spirit took your cards out and threw them away," Jaden said, causing her to faint again. "Uh…Ichigo?"

"Nice work, Jaden!" Rex said, smacking him in the head.

"What was that for?!"

"Nothing," Rex said, grumpily before hoisting Ichigo onto his back. "I'll take her to the hospital room. You two gather up her cards."

"Got it." Jaden immediately got to work while Rex took Ichigo back inside. In his rush, Rex didn't realize, however, that leaving Weevil to play 52-pickup with Ichigo's cards was a very bad idea, nor did he realize that there was an evil smile on Weevil's face.

Later…

Rex arrived at the hospital room and saw Ms. Fontaine asleep on the floor. Chancellor Sheppard was also asleep, snoring rather loudly. The only one who wasn't asleep was…

"What's up, dude?" Belowski said with a wave.

"What the heck did you do?"

"I dunno." Belowski scratched his head as he stared absentmindedly at the ceiling. "I was just talking about some stuff and they just zonked out, man."

"Seriously?" Rex let out a big yawn. "Y'know what? I think I'm getting kinda tired myself."

"Aw, no way!" Belowski said with a big grin. "My sleep powers are back! Whoa…" Belowski ran a hand through his hair. "That means I can't go to normal classes anymore. Bummer."

"Whoa. That sucks." Rex was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Wow, that duel took a lot more outta me than I thought." He shuffled over and dumped Ichigo on another empty bed before falling right on top of her. A few snores escaped Rex's lips while Belowski reached over and prodded his head.

"Dude? Duuuude?" Belowski simply shrugged before turning away and going to sleep himself.

"Twenty-four cards?!" Jaden shouted. "This is all we could find?!"

"That's disappointing," Weevil said. _Disappointing that there's not a single rare card in the bunch!_

A typical Duel Monsters deck contains an average of 40 cards. By this point, Weevil and Jaden had already combed the area surrounding the path to the main entrance and had only found 24 of Ichigo's cards, including Harpie Lady 1, 2, and 3. And neither one seemed too happy.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Ichigo can rebuild her deck," Jaden said as he stuffed her cards in his pocket. "I'm gonna head back up to the hospital room. You coming?"

"I don't have anything else to do." Weevil put his hands in his pockets and followed Jaden back inside.

Ichigo's eyes opened slowly. For some reason, her body felt heavy.

_I…I was dreaming…I was dueling with that horrible vampire baby…then, he forced me to duel Rex and…_ Ichigo gasped as her eyes shot open. "MY CARDS!"

She sprang up, causing Rex to tumble off the bed and onto his back. She looked down to see Rex on the floor with thick spirals in his eyes.

"Oh. Rex…" Ichigo felt herself blush a bit. "Were you here the whole time?"

"Nngh…What time is it?" Rex asked, groggily.

"Oh, it's…" Ichigo looked at the clock hanging straight ahead on the wall. "Whoa! It's 10 pm already?!"

"I thought so," Rex said as he sat on the edge of her bed. "It was 8:00 when you had that duel with that creepy whatever-it-is."

"I see," Ichigo said with a bit less enthusiasm. "I really am weak. You said so yourself."

Rex sweatdropped as he slowly turned to look at Ichigo. "Oh. Y-You heard that?"

"It's okay," Ichigo said, glumly. "I'm used to it by now."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Rex said, getting up to sit closer to Ichigo. "I only said that to wake you up! I didn't mean any of it, really. And you know what else? It was working for a while. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Ichigo looked at her hands for a moment. "Where are my cards?"

"Oh. They're…uh…right there." Rex pointed to a stack of cards on the small end table by Ichigo's bed. There was a note with it as well as five white hair clips with a few loose strands of pink hair. Ichigo picked up the note and looked at it first.

_We couldn't find them all. Sorry._

_J. W. R._

Ichigo blinked. "J. W. R.? Didn't she write the Harry Potter books?"

A vein blossomed in the back of Rex's head. "That's J. _K._ R.! J. W. R. stands for Jaden, Weevil, and Rex! I hauled you up here while Jaden and Weevil looked for your cards."

"Oh. Thank you." Ichigo picked up her cards and shuffled through them. "But they're not all here. There's only 24 of them."

"What?" Rex took her deck and shuffled it rather quickly. "You're right. There's a bunch missing. I guess they couldn't find them all." _Or Weevil's being selfish again._ His thoughts were interrupted when Ichigo grabbed him by the collar and started shaking him like crazy.

"You have to help me fix my deck!" Ichigo said, frantically. "I can't duel with just 24 cards!"

"Chill out, Ichigo!" Rex said, letting his head tilt to the side when Ichigo stopped shaking him. "Whenever you feel like it, stop by at the Red Dorm and I'll help you build up your deck again, okay?"

Ichigo blinked before letting go of his collar. "You promise?"

"Of course," Rex said, rubbing his neck.

Ichigo smiled cutely. "Okay. I'll make a note to do that. But for now, can you get me some water?"

"Sure." Rex got up and filled up a clear plastic cup at the sink with water and walked back to hand it to Ichigo. She then guzzled the whole thing down in five seconds. Rex was amazed at how quick that was.

"When you're possessed by a vampire baby thing," Ichigo said, "you tend to lose track of how thirsty you are or how long it's been since you last ate."

"…Makes sense to me," Rex said with a nod before he headed to the door. "I gotta get going."

"Wait."

Rex spun around before he could reach the doorknob. Ichigo had a completely serious look on her face.

"Can you answer me something?" Ichigo asked.

"Shoot."

Ichigo put a hand to her chin, as though trying to remember something. "What do you call 'something you can show, but you can't see'?"

Rex's eyes widened a bit. Mai Valentine had asked him that exact same question once before. Even though he had a feeling the answer to that would be pretty deep, his answer nonetheless was…

"That's easy! It's the octopus in a piece of takoyaki!"

The room was silent after that. It was as though the world slowed to a halt. Ichigo stared at Rex as he grinned that arrogant grin. Suddenly, she put a hand to her mouth, but failed to restrain her laughter. Rex's grin faded little by little as Ichigo clutched her stomach, as though it was paining her to laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Ichigo said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. You can go now."

Rex snorted as he left the room in a huff. He was then confronted by Weevil's usual sneer. He must've been waiting by the door that whole time.

"What?"

"Look at you," Weevil said. "Look at you, you dirty dog!"

"WHAT?!"

"Falling asleep right on top of that girl, asking her to come to your dorm…you DIRTY DOG!"

Rex started to blush like crazy. "Shut up! She's right in there!" He immediately started walking towards the stairs with Weevil right next to him.

"By the way," Weevil said, "I want my card back."

"I'll give it back once we get to the dorms."

"Fine." That creepy grin uncurled on his face again as they headed downstairs. "So, did you give her mouth-to-mouth?"

* * *

Sadly, there was no mouth-to-mouth. Rex was just too tired from dueling and...well...talking to Belowski.

Mokuba: Man, it feels like forever since I've been on this fic.

Duo-San: Well, you needn't wait any longer. You're scheduled to duel at the beginning of the next chapter.

Mokuba: Seriously? Aw, that is so cool!

Next Chapter: **Loss and Gain: Dalton's Rampage!**


	36. Loss and Gain: Dalton's Rampage!

Now, in case you guys forgot who Dalton is, he's that big guy who hangs out a lot with Wesley Reddings. He's also the guy who Bastion beat during the midterm practicals as well as one of the jerks who threw Syrus out in the mud. He enjoys pummeling his opponents with his Beast and Beast-Warrior cards. If you've seen my Deviantart page, you'll notice he looks a little different than my original envisioning. Instead of shaved black hair, like in Chapter 11, he's now got a reddish-brown buzzcut and a hook-like ponytail, just to make him look more badass. Anyway, that said, on with the show...er...story!

* * *

Chapter 36 – Loss and Gain: Dalton's Rampage!

The next day, an exhibition duel was held at the Obelisk Blue arena. Every student and teacher was there, mainly because they didn't want to miss the unique dueling style of Seto Kaiba's brother. So far, his dueling style was considered flawless, even by Dr. Crowler himself.

Evenly matched up with him was his opponent. Jerome Dalton was getting catcalls and jeers because of the bright white "KICK M3" on the back of his jacket. He tried as hard as he could to ignore them as he drew his next card.

Just for the record, Mokuba currently had Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in Attack Mode, no cards face down and 2100 Life Points. Dalton's monster, Mother Grizzly (1400/1000), was just destroyed. Luckily, it was in Defense Mode and Dalton's Life Points remained safe at 1700. He also had a card face down.

"Nice try, brat," Dalton said, "but when my Mother Grizzly's destroyed, I'm allowed summon a water monster with 1500 Attack Points or less. So I'll call out another Mother Grizzly in Attack Mode!"

Another blue bear emerged onto the field with its claws bared.

"That's no big deal," Mokuba said. "I'll lay a card face down and end my turn."

Meanwhile, Jaden, Alexis, Blair, Chazz, Weevil, and Rex were watching in the audience. Jaden couldn't take his eyes off the duel.

"He's really not doing so bad," Blair said.

"What did you expect?" Weevil said. "He's Seto Kaiba's brother. I'll bet you anything Kaiba slipped one or two of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons in there."

"If that were true, he would've summoned it by now," Chazz said, folding his arms.

"I don't know," Jaden said. "Mokuba doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would just borrow strength from his brother…"

Dalton drew his next card. _Lousy brat. He's trying to make a fool outta me. I'll show him!_ "Now I'll play the Spell, Wild Nature's Release! This card adds my Grizzly's Defense to its Attack Points (1400- 2400)! Mother Grizzly, attack his Luster Dragon!"

Mother Grizzly snarled as it ran over to Mokuba's dragon and brought down its claws hard, shattering his Dragon. Mokuba shielded himself from the shock as his Life Points dropped down to 1600.

"Now normally, by the end of the turn, Wild Nature's Release would've destroyed my monster. But that's not gonna happen. I activate my face down card, Beast Soul Swap! Mother Grizzly returns to my hand, and in exchange, I'll summon Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) in Attack Mode!"

Mother Grizzly disappeared from the field and in its place materlialized a huge orange canine monster with talon-like feet and its ears curled up into horns. Saliva dripped from its jaw as it snarled at Mokuba.

"Sic 'im boy!"

"Not just yet!" Mokuba raised his facedown card. "Here's my Enchanted Javelin Trap! Whenever I'm attacked, this card increases my Life Points by your monster's Attack points. Of course, your attack still goes through, but it'll be like nothing happened at all."

Mokuba's Life Points rose to 3500 before Mad Dog sank its teeth into his arm, dropping them back down to 1600.

"Oh well," Dalton said as Mad Dog of Darkness trotted back to his side. "Good dog! Back to you, runt!"

_He's certainly not imaginative at name calling._ Mokuba drew his next card. "I activate the Spell, Fissure! This card can destroy the monster with the lowest Attack on your side of the field. And since you only have one monster, this leaves you very much wide open!"

Dalton shielded himself as his Mad Dog of Darkness exploded. "Ya stinkin'…!"

"I'm not done yet!" Mokuba said as he inserted another card in his disk. "Now I activate Monster Reborn and bring back Magna-Slash Dragon (2400/1200)!"

Rising onto the field was a great white dragon with huge blade-like wings extending from its forearms. Judging by the immense cheers of the audience ("Jaden, quit embarrassing me!" Chazz said), it was either something they were waiting for or Dalton must have destroyed it earlier.

"Magna-Slash Dragon, attack Dalton directly!"

Magna-Slash Dragon leapt into the air and raised its arm back, bringing it right down on Dalton who doubled over and fell to the floor as his Life Points reached zero. Dalton pounded his fist on the ground as the audience continued to cheer. He didn't even notice Mokuba extending a hand to him to help him up. Instead, he pushed himself back on his feet, stuffed his hands in his pockets and stomped off. In the audience, someone wasn't cheering, remaining silent and choosing to watch Dalton through mirrored sunglasses…

Dalton continued to grumble as he trudged through the halls. He eventually stopped when he saw Dr. Crowler standing right in front of him. For a while, the two remained silent…

"Uh…" Dalton began, "what's up, doc?"

"Jerome," Dr. Crowler said in his usual tone, "Walk with me. Talk with me."

"Uh…okay?" Dalton looked a little worried as he walked with Dr. Crowler. Neither one of them said anything until they reached Dr. Crowler's office. Crowler immediately went over to his desk and sat down and put his fingers together.

"Come. Sit."

Dalton slowly went over and sat down in the chair in front of Crowler's desk. Crowler's face looked rather grim, which was saying something even for him.

"I'm not happy, Jerome. Ask me why."

"Okay. Why?"

"Why what? Be specific, Jerome."

"Uh…" He was starting to get scared. "Why are you not happy?"

"I watched your duel with Mokuba Kaiba from start to finish. Your dueling was rather sloppy."

Dalton jumped out of his seat. "SLOPPY?!"

"Not only that, but according to my records, you've lost five consecutive duels since midterms. I've also received word from my colleague, Professor Autumn, that you and two others actually tossed a newly promoted Obelisk student out of the dorms and into the rain."

"You mean Truesdale? You know that little squirt doesn't deserve to be-"

"Regardless, this, along with other actions, is unacceptable behavior in my dorm. UNACCEPTABLE!" That last word echoed all around the room. "My patience has limits, Jerome. If you cannot show any form of improvement by the end of the week, you will be demoted to Ra Yellow. Not only that, but if you _ever_ pull another stunt like you did before, I will see to it that you are expelled!"

Dalton was furious. He pounded his fist on Crowler's desk. "That's bull, man! You can't expel me for that!"

"I can and I will," Crowler said sharply, "unless you can get your skills and your attitude up to snuff. After all, you muscled your way up to Obelisk Blue at the end of last year. It shouldn't be too hard. Now run along. You have three days 'til the weekend."

Dalton growled. He could hear Crowler chuckling. As Dalton stomped back out of the office, Dr. Crowler noticed a small indent on his desk that Dalton's knuckles made. The sight of it made Crowler purse his lips together.

Later, at the Obelisk Blue dorm…

"IT'S NOT RIGHT! I CAN'T STAND IT!"

Dalton proceeded to thoroughly trash his room even more than usual, in a fit of angst and rage. His books were thrown everywhere, his window was smashed, and most of his personal possessions were broken or misplaced (with the exception of his duel disk).

"This isn't right. I'm an Obelisk Blue. I should be stronger than those losers in the Red _and_ Yellow dorms! But I can't win! WHY?!" Dalton fell to the floor, pounding his fist. "Why can't I WIN?!"

"It's because you are weak."

Dalton freaked out and backed against his wall. That "weak" comment came from a woman in a red dress with pale skin and long black hair who seemingly appeared in his room from out of nowhere.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my room?!" Dalton clenched his fists in anger. "You want a piece of me too?!"

"Is this how you always act around ladies? I'm severely disappointed in you, Mr. Dalton."

"You know my name?"

"I know who you are, what you are, and why you've come here. I also know your anger and ferocity merely masks how sad and weak you truly are. Like a mouse masquerading as an elephant."

Dalton felt a vein pulse in his forehead. "You're really pushing it, lady. Either get to the point or get out so I can vent my frustration in peace!"

The woman in red narrowed her eyes and turned around. "You really have no patience. I just came here to help you…but after that very rude reception, I suppose I can always leave…"

"Wait."

She smiled as she glanced behind her. Dalton's hands were now slack and he seemed a bit calmer.

"What do you mean 'help' me?"

"I know your type, Jerome," the woman said, pressing her thumb to her lip. "You're the kind who tries and tries and tries, but can never make things work for him. Why could this be?"

Dalton couldn't help but blush a bit as she put her thumb to her lips._ Man, that's hot._

"Is this your father?" Dalton snapped back to reality when the woman picked up a picture of a rather ripped man donning army camos and five o'clock shadow. "I think I've gotten the general picture of what kind of man you are already. I've heard the story before: the typical 'work hard for your father who constantly thinks you're a failure'? Stop me if I'm getting close."

"Dead on." Dalton stuffed his hands in his pockets. "My jerk dad's a drill seargant in America. He always believes in 100 percent success. But no matter how hard I work, even after I've been promoted to Obelisk Blue, he never gives me a 'nice work, Jerome' or 'that's my boy' or anything like that. The guy's a punk. He always was."

"…Might I see your deck?"

"Huh? Oh." Dalton took his deck out from a pocket in his coat. The woman in red shuffled through it rather quickly and threw it against his closet, causing his cards to scatter everywhere. "HEY!"

"No wonder you lose so much. These cards are pathetic!"

"I liked those!" He was silenced quickly when the woman pressed her fingers against his lips and started pushing him back.

"There is no doubt in my mind that you have potential. And I have no doubt that I can bring it all out. All you have to do…is accept my power…" Dalton found himself backed against the wall as the woman got dangerously close to his face. He was eye to eye with her. Because of this, he didn't notice that she had taken a sort of gauntlet with a gold eye in the palm out from her unusually long sleeve. "Do we have a deal, Mr. Dalton?"

Dalton swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yeah…gimme your power, lady."

"Then close your eyes…"

She leaned in a bit closer and Dalton closed his eyes…

* * *

Duo-san: ...Wow. Is she gonna kiss him? 

Mokuba: Looks like it, doesn't it? What's the deal with that lady anyway?

Duo-san: You'll find out soon enough.

Next Chapter: **Dalton Roars!

* * *

**

Name: Jerome Dalton

Age: 16

Eyes: Black

Hair: Brown with hook-like ponytail

Class: Obelisk Blue Second-year

Deck: Beast-Type

Jerome Dalton, or simply Dalton, is as strong as an ox and has the temper of a bull. Not much is known about him before joining the Academy or his friendship with fellow Obelisk, Wesley Reddings, but it can be assumed that his past was stuffed to the brim with delinquent behavior. Dalton favors pummeling and pulverizing his opponents with Beast-type and Beast-Warrior-type cards, his favorite being Enraged Battle Ox.

Now that I think about it, there's a character on One Piece named Dalton who can transform into an ox. Coincidence? I dunno.


	37. Dalton Roars!

Chapter 37 – Dalton Roars!

"ATTACK!"

KA-BOOM! That was the sound of Dalton's opponent's Life Points dropping to zero. His opponent, Reginald Van Howell (or Reggie) from Obelisk Blue, fell to his knees.

"I guess I lose…"

"You got that right, little man. Next time you want a whuppin', you know who to find!"

"Wow…" Reggie said with a smile. "He's even more awesome than Chazz…"

Inside the Obelisk Blue arena, the crowd cheered as Dalton stepped off the raised platform. Various comments were tossed left and right long after the duel.

"Was that really Dalton?"

"He's changed so much…"

"His deck's way cooler than before!"

"He's like a wild animal!"

Most of these comments reached Dalton's ears as he walked through the halls with a big grin on his stupid face. His bravado was only dimmed a little bit when he was stopped in the hall by none other than Wesley Reddings. A moment of silence passed.

"…What?"

"Dalton," Wesley started, "Dr. Crowler wanted me to tell you that you've redeemed yourself in the area of your dueling skills."

"Well, why didn't he just tell me himself?"

"He says he's busy with paperwork, but I know for a fact that he's ordering a new cappuccino machine. I must say, however, that I'm also impressed by your improvement."

"Yeah! I knew you'd be jealous!" Dalton said with a sneer. "I owe it all to my new buddies: these cards!" Dalton took out his deck and actually gave it a quick kiss, causing Wesley to raise an eyebrow. "…What? You never seen a guy kiss his cards before?"

"Where did you get that glove, by the way?"

Dalton quickly shoved his left hand in his pocket. "I done told you, it's a present from my mom! What, you wanna fight about it?" He suddenly got right up in Wesley's face with a rather threatening aura. "Huh?? Do ya?!"

"…Are you growing a beard?"

"Eh?" Dalton stepped back and rubbed his face. He did indeed feel something prickly under his chin. "Oh yeah. Guess I didn't notice 'til now. I kinda like it."

"I see," Wesley said, pushing up his sunglasses. "Well, good luck with that. I have to get going."

Dalton merely nodded as Wesley walked right past him. Behind those sunglasses, Wesley's eyes kept a sharp watch on the glove on Dalton's left hand. After another left turn in the hall, Wesley met up with Dr. Crowler, who had his arms folded as though he was waiting for him.

"Well?"

"The glove on his left hand fits the description you gave me," Wesley said. "I'm not entirely sure though, because I didn't see any eye on it at all. It's possible that it may be on the palm."

"Well, don't do anything drastic yet until you're certain," Dr. Crowler said.

"Yes, Doctor."

Meanwhile…

Dalton was back in his room which, considering the condition it was in before, was surprisingly spotless. It was as though the place itself was cleaned up by magic. Dalton kept looking through his cards with a manic grin on his face. He suddenly recoiled and nearly spilled all his cards when a pale white hand touched his shoulder.

"Relax. It's me."

Dalton relaxed himself when he saw the woman in red. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Your dueling skills are marvelous! Much better than they were before."

"Yeah!" Dalton flexed his left arm. "And I owe it all to you, lady. By the way, I could use a little more of your…power."

"Don't you worry, Jerome," the woman said, rubbing his cheek with her index finger. "Just keep winning duels and you'll get exactly what you deserve." The woman started to fade right before Dalton's eyes. "By the way, I like your beard."

Those were her last words as she disappeared completely. Dalton rubbed his chin. It definitely felt a little rougher than before. _Yup. Definitely keeping this. But enough about that. I think I know exactly who to face next._

Bastion Misawa was writing feverishly in his notebook in an effort to finish his Contemporary Dueling homework. Hanging out in the Slifer dorm had really been a bad influence on him, though he refused to admit it. He was almost finished when his PDA started beeping like crazy. This caused him to snap the lead on his pencil.

_It never fails, _Bastion thought with a hint of irritation._ That thing always goes off whenever I'm on a roll._ Bastion went to grab his PDA off his dresser and pressed the Mail button. Dalton's face appeared on the screen.

"Hey brainiac! We've got a score to settle! Meet me at the docks at midnight and I'll give you the beating you deserve! Unless you're chicken, of course."

After that, the screen went blank. Bastion let out a pained sigh and pressed the record button on his PDA.

"Dr. Crowler? It's me."

Slifer Red Dorms. 11:45 pm.

Despite the fall season starting, the night was still beautiful. The moon was hidden behind the clouds. Everything felt calm. Serene. Quiet…

"Fifteen minutes 'til curfew, boys!"

Oh. Never mind. That call was from Professor Autumn who had just called Weevil and Chazz, who were in the middle of a duel. The two were currently tied at 2300 Life Points. Chazz had his VW Tiger Catapult (2000/2100) in Attack mode as well as a card face down while Weevil had his Forest Field Spell in play, which explained the unusual abundance of trees around the Slifer Red dorm, and his Prickle Fairy (500/2200) in Defense Mode. He also had a card face down. Watching from the balcony were Jaden Yuki, Blair Flannigan, and Rex Raptor while Professor Autumn decided to stay down on the ground to referee…at least until curfew.

"Time to squash you!" Chazz said, drawing his next card. "My draw! And now it's time to activate my Catapult's special ability! By discarding a card from my hand, I can switch the mode of your wimpy Prickle Fairy!"

Weevil flinched as his Prickle Fairy stood up, switching to Attack Mode.

"And now, it's go time! VW Tiger Catapult, attack his Fairy! Tiger Bomb!"

Chazz's catapult launched the Tiger mech from its back in order to smash right through Weevil's Fairy. Weevil had to shield himself from the resulting explosion as his Life Points dropped to 600.

"You think it's that easy? I activate my Option Hunter trap! When you destroyed my monster, I'll increase my Life Points by its original attack strength!" And thusly, Weevil's Life Points rose back up to 900.

"So you boosted your Life a little," Chazz said. "Big deal. I'm still gonna wipe you out next-"

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Chazz stopped short and turned around. Everyone looked past him to see Dalton waiting by the lighthouse. With the docks being a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Red dorms, they were easy to see from there. For some reason, Dalton looked rather impatient.

_What's he doing out here?_ Autumn thought to herself. Her eyes soon found their way to his left hand. _And is that a Shadow Charm he's wearing?_ Not long after that, Autumn noticed someone else was coming.

"Hey, it's Bastion!" Jaden said before heading down from the balcony. "You think they're gonna duel?"

"I don't know," Autumn said, "but I have a feeling it can't be good." She then turned to Chazz and Weevil. "I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid you'll have to cancel this duel for now."

"That's fine by me," Chazz said, turning off his duel disk. "I have a feeling I don't wanna miss this."

"All right, whatever," Weevil replied.

"It's about time you showed up," Dalton said with a sneer. "I thought you were gonna chicken out."

"You have a lot of nerve calling me out this late," Bastion said, folding his arms. "You know full well that dueling past curfew time is against campus regulations. But in a sense, I'm glad you called me out here."

"Why's that?"

"Because I didn't come alone." Bastion stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. Before Dalton could register what was happening, he was surrounded by several Obelisk students, including Sara, Alexis, Syrus, and Wesley.

Dalton looked furious. "What is all this?!"

"It's quite simple," Wesley said, putting his hands in his pockets. "We're just here to retrieve that Shadow Charm on your left hand. Dr. Crowler gave me a specific description of the object in question and wanted us to back up Bastion, in case you tried anything foolish."

Dalton growled angrily before his mouth turned to a manic smile. "Heh heh heh. You're the foolish ones. If you were smart, you should've rushed me down the instant you laid eyes on me."

"We have no reason to resort to violence," Wesley replied. "After all, there's nowhere you can run. The four of us have blocked your only way off these docks."

"Just hand over that glove and we'll let you go," Sara said quietly.

"Then I guess I have no choice," Dalton said as the moonlight started to cut through the clouds, "but to rip you all apart!" He opened his left hand and the eye on the palm was glowing brightly. The moon in the night sky was now completely full. And as though on cue, Dalton suddenly hunched over and held onto his head, as though in pain. His so-called "beard" was suddenly growing much faster and a thick coat of brown hair was starting to grow all over his body. Everyone watched in horror as the back of Dalton's blazer started to rip from his bulging muscles. His fingernails started to grow into claws and a long furry tail stuck out of the back of his pants. His face had started to change into something more canine: his teeth grew into fangs, his nose elongated into a snout, his ears were now much more pointed, and his eyes became much more feral. He got down on all fours and howled into the night sky.

Weevil was actually turning blue in the face. "I'm not going crazy, am I? Y-You guys saw that too, right?!"

"That's just not right," Rex said, also turning blue.

"What in the world…?!" Alexis started, but couldn't quite finish her sentence.

"Is he…a werewolf??" Syrus said with a slight tinge in his voice. Sara stared at him when he tried to back away.

"This is astounding!" Bastion said. He wasn't as surprised as the others, as he witnessed the transformation abilities of the Shadow Gauntlet firsthand after Jaden beat Tania the Amazoness in a duel.

"Dalton…" Wesley said as Dalton's snarling reflection appeared on his shades, "…what are you?"

"I'm only gonna warn you once," Dalton snarled. "If you're gonna get in my way, I'll slaughter you guys."

* * *

Surprised? That glove was used to transform Tania the Amazon from a tiger to a human. So why _shouldn't_ it work the other way around? And now that I think about it, maybe **Dalton Howls** would be a better title for this. Hm.

Next Chapter: **Majestic Mechs VS Gladiator Beasts**


	38. Majestic Mechs VS Gladiator Beasts

Thank you for your reviews. They give me power.

Chapter 38 – Majestic Mechs VS Gladiator Beasts

Wesley merely pushed up his shades. He showed no signs of fear. "You don't have what it takes. All you are now is a mindless, muscle-driven beast. And that fancy fur coat you're wearing is proof enough."

Everyone, even Dalton, was shocked at the backbone Wesley showed. Even if he is an Obelisk Elite, picking a fight with Dalton was dangerous enough. Picking a fight with a transformed wolf Dalton was just plain suicide. This was proven when, without even the slightest amount of warning, Dalton bolted over and sunk his teeth into Wesley's right arm. Alexis covered her mouth in shock while Sara simply stared.

"What was that, pal?" Dalton snarled with his teeth still in Wesley's arm. "I don't think I heard you the first time."

"You heard me perfectly," Wesley said as he reached over with his other hand and wrenched Dalton's jaws off his arm, forcing him to back off. "You are weak. And as your tag partner, I will duel you to prove it."

"That's what you should've said in the first place," Dalton said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've read the stories. And I'm sure you know what happens when you're bitten by a werewolf!"

Wesley's sunglasses slipped. It was the first expression of shock he wore during the entire story.

"Wait a minute," Alexis said. "Does that mean Wesley's gonna turn into a dog, too??"

"I'm not a dog, I'm a wolf!" Dalton practically barked at Alexis. "But don't you worry, Wes. You'll still be yourself, only if you beat me in a duel."

"And if I lose?"

"Then you're gonna become a 'mindless, muscle-driven' werewolf just like me! And after that, we'll take down the entire Obelisk Blue dorm and then the rest of the island!"

Wesley remained silent while Dalton laughed evilly.

"Tell me you're done so we can duel already."

"You won't be so smug in a Shadow Game," Dalton said, standing up and activating his Duel Disk.

Wesley rubbed his right arm in the spot where Wesley bit him before activating his Duel Disk as well. "Everyone, I'd like you to wait on top of the hill by the Slifer Dorms. If I lose, I may end up attacking one or all four of you. And I don't feel like risking that."

"Very well then," Bastion said as he headed off the docks. "Just don't lose."

"Yeah, what he said," Syrus said, following the others.

"Well, then," Wesley said, turning back to Dalton, "shall we get started, old friend?"

"Bring it," Dalton yelled.

"DUEL!" Both duelists drew five cards and their Life Points were set to 4000.

"Hey guys!" Jaden shouted to the others as they arrived.

"Jaden?" Syrus said with a hint of confusion. "What are you guys doing out here so late?"

"Chazz and I were having a quick duel before this happened," Weevil said.

"I'm assuming you all saw what happened?" Bastion asked.

"Every bit," Professor Autumn answered. "This duel is bound to be dangerous."

"I'm gonna go first!" Dalton said, drawing his first card. "I'll play the Field Spell, Colosseum – Cage of the Gladiator Beasts!"

_So he has that card after all?_ Wesley thought.

The docks began to transform. In seconds, the two duelists were now in a huge arena made of stone, lined with blue neon lights.

"You're in my backyard now," Dalton said. "It works like this. Each time one of us Special Summons a monster from our deck, I have to place an audience counter on this arena. And with each one, any monster with Gladiator Beast in its name gets 100 Attack and Defense points! My monsters practically thrive on the cheers of their fans! ("Just like you," Wesley added.) And I'll start by playing Test Ape (700/300) in Defense Mode!"

Dalton's first monster was a small baboon curled up in a ball. It had strange green goggles and some sort of gauntlet on its arm.

"Hey Rex," Weevil said with a smirk, "who does that remind you of?"

"And with that, I'll end my turn," Dalton said.

"Good." Wesley drew a card from his deck. "First, I'll lay a card face down and summon Royal Knight (1300/800) in Attack Mode."

Wesley's first monster was clad in white armor with bluish-green trim and bore large white wings as well as a small sword in its right hand.

"And in case you don't know," Wesley continued, "my Royal Knight has a unique ability. Whenever it destroys a monster, my Life Points increase by the Defense Points of the destroyed monster."

"Tch." Dalton didn't seem bothered, since his monster had only 300 Defense Points.

"Royal Knight, attack with Royal Blade Strike."

Royal Knight raised its sword and brought it down on the poor Test Ape, shattering it to mere holographic pixels. After that, Wesley's Life Points rose to 4300.

"I owe ya one for that, Wes," Dalton said.

Wesley raised an eyebrow.

"By destroying my Test Ape, I'm allowed to special summon a Level 4 or lower Gladiator Beast from my deck. And I'll choose Gladiator Beast Laquari (1800/400)!"

Emerging onto the field was a tiger-like monster in red armor circled by a ring of fire and red laser-like weapons. With its roar, came a cheer from somewhere in the stands of the Colosseum.

"That's one counter," Dalton said as his Laquari's power rose to 1900/500.

Wesley simply shrugged and said, "I end my turn."

Dalton growled as he drew his next card. "I think I'll play around with you for a bit. After all, the night is young, the moon is full, and I don't wanna whup ya too quick. Now I'll summon Gladiator Beast Andal (1900/1500) – (2000/1600) in Attack Mode!"

Dalton's next monster was a large bear in blue armor with a scar across its left eye. On its arms were its weapons, a pair of steel knuckles.

"Gladiator Beast Andal, crush that Royal Knight now!"

Andal grunted as it got down on all fours and charged at Wesley's Royal Knight. As it raised its arms, Wesley raised a face down card.

"I activate my trap, Waboku. Thanks to this, I will take no damage, nor will you destroy my monster."

Andal brought down its mighty claw and pushed back Royal Knight. Both monsters then got back into position.

"Doesn't matter. I'll still attack your monster! Get'm, Laquari!"

"I don't get it," Blair said as Laquari's laser weapons fired at Royal Knight, but to no avail. "Why does he keep attacking if he's not gonna cause any damage?"

"It is so he can activate his monster's ability," Sara said quietly, freaking out Weevil for a split second. "If his monster attacks or gets attacked, he can return it to his deck and call out another Gladiator Beast with no heed to its level. However, he can only special summon it _after_ his Battle Phase is finished. This new deck functions like tag teams in a wrestling match." _Where did he get those cards?_

"Now, I'll activate my Laquari's ability," Dalton said. "Since it got to attack during the Battle Phase, I can send it back to my deck and send out another Beast in its place. And I choose Gladiator Beast Dimacari (1600/1200) – (1700/1300)!"

Laquari disappeared from the field, and taking its place was a snarling purple ox-like monster with reflectors guarding its backside. And once again, more cheers were heard from the audience as the beasts' points rose by another hundred (Andal 2100/1700) (Dimacari 1800/1400).

"That's two counters," Dalton said, "and I'll end my turn with a face down card."

"Very well," Wesley said, drawing a card. "I'll sacrifice my Royal Knight and summon Majestic Mech – Ohka (2400/1400) in Attack Mode."

The monster Wesley summoned was a wolf-like monster clad in white armor with red trim and metallic wings.

"How unusual," Bastion said.

"What do you mean?" Jaden asked.

"Majestic Mech monsters are tricky to play. They have the option of lowering their level to be summoned much easier. Ohka, a level six monster, could've been normal summoned without a sacrifice. However, by doing so, Wesley would have to send it to the graveyard on the end of his turn."

"Ouch."

"Majestic Mech – Ohka," Wesley continued, "attack Gladiator Beast Andal with White Wolf Stream."

Dalton growled as Ohka launched a blast of white light at Andal, destroying it and reducing Dalton's Life Points to 3700. _Crap. Andal doesn't have any special effects at all. I can't even call it back to my deck. My trap card is as good as wasted on that one._

"I will end my turn with another card face down," Wesley said, "and since I sacrificed a monster to summon Ohka, he will not go to the graveyard."

"Fine. My draw!" Dalton drew his next card. "I'll sacrifice Dimacari and summon Gladiator Beast Spartacus (2200/1600)!"

Dalton's next monster was a dinosaur clad in brown armor with bones adorning the shoulders and forearms. It raised its huge axe causing the audience to cheer, raising its strength to 2400/1800.

"So, you summoned a monster with our exact same attack strength," Wesley said. "If they battle like this, they will only destroy each other."

"Not if I activate this," Dalton said, sliding a card into his disk. "Gladiator Beast's Battle Manica! With this gauntlet on, my Spartacus can't be destroyed in battle, no matter what! Now attack!"

Spartacus swung his mighty axe back. It must've been heavy if he had to wind up like that. Ohka started to counter with a White Wolf Stream, but Spartacus had already swung his axe to smash right through Ohka, breaking its armor into tiny pieces. Wesley, however, refused to even flinch.

"Come on, man," Dalton said. "You can at least pretend to be scared. But whatever. Since Spartacus got an attack in, I can send it back to my deck and summon Gladiator Beast Secutor (400/300). Not only that, but instead of going to the graveyard, my Battle Manica returns to my hand!"

Spartacus disappeared from the field and taking its place was a small frog-like creature in blue armor with a pair of cannons on its shoulders. More cheers from the audience raised its power to 700/400 ("That makes three counters," Dalton said.)

Everyone was speechless.

"I don't get it," Rex said. "Why would he bring out that little toad thing instead of keeping that cool Dinosaur monster out?"

"Duh!" Weevil said. "Obviously that thing has some cool special ability too."

"Not only that," Bastion said, "but he is now too focused on special summoning monsters to add audience counters to his Colosseum. He may have gone a little overboard by summoning that one."

"So basically he's just showing off?" Weevil asked glumly.

"Better keep your defenses up," Dalton said. "Because when Secutor comes charging, I can summon _two_ Gladiator Beasts instead of just one! And I don't even need to return it to my deck! Plus, I'll activate my face down card Double Tag Team! Since I special summoned my Secutor, I can special summon another Gladiator Beast monster from my hand or deck, as long as it's Level 4 or below. And I choose Gladiator Beast Torax (1400/400)!"

Splashing onto the field was a blue puffer fish monster with green armor riddled with spikes. It raised its staff, warranting more cheers from the audience raising its strength to 1800/400 and Secutor's strength to 800/500 ("And that makes counter number four," Dalton said).

"I never thought Dalton could make a deck so methodical," Syrus said.

"Tch. His deck ain't so tough," Chazz scoffed.

"And with that, I end my turn," Dalton said.

"Even with the fur coat," Wesley said, drawing his card, "you're still the Dalton I've known all this."

"What does that mean?!"

"You've left both your monsters in Attack mode, and your Life Points very vulnerable."

Dalton recoiled in shock. _Aw crap! How could I forget that?!_

"I also know that I cannot defeat your monsters if you keep adding counters to your Colosseum, so I will destroy it with Mystical Space Typhoon."

Dalton watched as a vortex in the sky opened and the Colosseum was swallowed into the void, brick by brick, screaming audience member by screaming audience member. After the effects resided, Dalton's monsters were back to their original strength (Secutor 400/300) (Torax 1400/400). _Heh…How stupid do you think I am? I'll just wait until I draw another one from my deck. And then the fun begins all over again._

"The Gladiator Beast cards are powerful," Wesley said, "when used correctly. But I can tell you didn't have those cards for long. Therefore, you don't exactly know how to use them properly. Someone once said 'a weapon is only as powerful as the one who wields it.' The saying applies to a sword as well as one's cards. Tell me, where exactly did you get those cards?"

"I'll tell you," Dalton said with a smirk, "only if you beat me!"

"So be it," Wesley said. "I'll continue by summoning Zolga (1700/1200) in Attack Mode." The monster Wesley called out wore a black cloak and an armored headdress.

"Zolga, attack Secutor (400) with Shadow Cloak." Zolga's cloak stretched out like a pair of hands and promptly strangled the little Secutor to death. Secutor shattered, dropping Dalton's Life Points to 2400 and Dalton himself to the ground. "Jerome Dalton, if this is all you have to offer, then I don't even need to worry about becoming a werewolf like you. You should simply stay down on all fours like the dog you are."

Alexis' eyes widened. _He must be really upset. I've never seen that guy insult anyone in a duel._

Dalton pushed himself up and howled into the sky. It was evident by the look on his face that he was either really angry or simply rabid.

"You know what?" Dalton asked. "I am so sick and tired of your smug attitude. In the past two years I've known you, you've always looked down on me and you're still doing it, even now. Well, I'm done playing around with you! I have received power unlike anything you've seen before and as soon as you end your turn, I'm gonna call out my bigger beasts to really mess you up! You hear me Wes? THIS IS NOW WAR!"

* * *

Duo-san: And now, a few words from Jerome Dalton.

Dalton: AROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Duo-san: Thank you. In the next chapter, the duel continues, trash talk is thrown left and right, and the Slifers get in a few shots at Bastion's love life.

Bastion: I do NOT approve.

Duo-san: Of course you don't.

Dalton: Grrrr...!

Duo-san: And if you keep misbehaving, you won't get your treat!

Dalton: -whimper, whimper-

Wesley: Stay tuned for...uh...oh yeah...**Majestic Mechs VS Gladiator Beasts, Part 2.**


	39. MM vs GB, Part 2

Is it just me or is Wesley a lot more talkative during duels? Anyway, I wanted to update this sooner, but my file got corrupted somehow, so I had to rewrite the entire second half as well as the stuff after it all over again. It took me the entire afternoon to remember what happened. Also, I didn't think the Gladiator Beasts would be such a big hit. Thanks, guys.

Chapter 39 – Majestic Mechs VS Gladiator Beasts, Part 2

"It's my turn! I draw!" Dalton nearly ripped his next card out of his Duel Disk. "And whaddya know? It's our old friend, Laquari (1800/400)! And I'm gonna summon him again in Attack mode!"

Dalton's tiger monster returned to the field with a roar.

"It's payback time! Gladiator Beast Laquari, incinerate his Zolga!"

Laquari's laser weapons spun around and shot beams of red light at Zolga, who promptly disintegrated into ash (Wesley LP: 3900).

"Now it's your turn, Torax (1400)! Attack him directly with Spiked Fish Tank!"

Gladiator Beast Torax curled up into a spiked ball and started rolling straight at Wesley, who shielded himself with his Duel Disk and swung a roundhouse kick at the fish monster, who immediately ducked back into position. But that didn't stop his Life Points from dropping to 2500.

"Something…doesn't feel right," Wesley said.

"I was waiting for this part," Dalton snarled. "Have a look at your arm."

Wesley's glasses slipped as he rolled back his sleeve. It was the first expression of shock he wore this entire story. White hair was growing on his arm at an alarming rate. It must've been growing on his back as well, since he had to reach back and scratch his shoulder. "Dalton, what have you done??"

"What? What's going on?" Jaden asked.

"I knew this was coming sooner or later," Alexis said. "Once you're bitten, there's no stopping it."

"Unless Wesley wins, right?" Syrus asked. "Right??"

"I never thought that was your real hair color," Dalton said. "And in case you're wondering, this is a little side-effect from our Shadow Game! The more Life Points you lose, the more of an animal you become! Of course, I don't need to worry about that since I'm already a wild beast! Since you lost almost half your Life Points, I'd say my spell's taken both your arms, and judging by your last movement, it must be spreading to your back, too!"

"I can feel my teeth growing as well," Wesley said calmly.

"Still putting on the strong silent act, huh?" Dalton said. "Well, since my Battle Phase is over, I'll send both my beasts back to my deck so I can summon Gladiator Beast Darius (1700/300) and Gladiator Beast Octavius (2500/1200)!"

Both of Dalton's monsters returned to his Duel Disk and in their place emerged Darius – a horse-looking monster in bronze armor holding a metallic whip – and Octavius – an eagle-like monster in yellow armor – who let loose a flap of his mighty wings.

"Not only that," Dalton continued, "but when Darius is Special Summoned to the field this way, his ability lets me summon another Gladiator Beast from my Graveyard! And I choose Gladiator Beast Andal (1900/1500)!"

Bastion was unimpressed, even as the bear monster came back to the field. "It seems he's reverted back to his 'beatdown' strategy."

Professor Autumn was getting worried. "If this keeps up, Wesley may lose and…I have to stop this duel!" She started to run when Sara caught her by the arm. "What are you doing?!"

"It's all right," Sara said. "Everything is as it should be."

"What are you talking about?" Weevil asked.

"Dalton won't win," Sara explained, "because he can't. The two of them have been rivals for two years now and Dalton hasn't beaten him in _anything_."

"It's my move." Wesley drew his next card. "I activate the Spell, Graceful Charity. Thanks to this, I can draw three cards and add them to my hand." _Hmm…not bad. _"After that, I'll send two more to my graveyard. Next, I'll play a monster in Defense mode, plus one more card face down. And that's it for now."

"My draw!" Dalton drew next. _Ain't got no monsters to summon…yet._ "All right, Andal! Attack his face down monster!"

Andal snarled as he charged forward and smashed Wesley's face down monster with those huge knuckle weapons. Before it shattered, it was revealed to be a red egg-shaped monster with claws.

"So much for Agido (1500/1300)," Wesley said, "but it doesn't matter, because by destroying it, you've triggered Agido's effect. When it's destroyed, I can roll a six-sided die and whatever number comes up on top is the level of the fairy monster I can summon from my Graveyard."

Dalton snarled as a white dice cube materialized on Wesley's side of the field and launched into the air. After a few seconds of wild spinning, it clattered on the ground and ended with a six facing upwards.

"A six," Dalton said. "So now you can bring that Orka or whatever it's called. I'll just blast it with my Octavius!"

"Who said anything about Ohka? The monster I'm bringing back is…"

Suddenly, the sea below them lit up with a blinding light. Dalton and everyone on the hill had to shield their eyes. Of course, Wesley was wearing his sunglasses already. Rising from below was a huge mechanical dragon clad in white armor with gold trim. The water cascaded from its back and enormous wings as it let out a roar with a somewhat electronic sound.

"…Majestic Mech – Goryu (2900/1800)!"

Dalton's tongue hung out of the side of his mouth as he stared at the giant mechanical beast, which took its place in front of Wesley.

"Don't look so surprised," Wesley said. "I discarded my Goryu when after I played Graceful Charity. It was pure luck that I drew it when I did."

"I ain't scared of your dragon!" Dalton barked. "Gladiator Beast Octavius, atta…!" Dalton nearly finished his attack order, but stopped at the last second. _That was too close. I was getting carried away for a second and nearly lost the strongest monster I got._ "Almost lost it for a second. I'll end my turn now."

"That's what I like to see: smart dueling," Wesley said as he drew his next card. "First, I'll activate my trap, Skill Drain!"

_Oh crap!_ Dalton recoiled in shock.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm sure you already know that as of this moment, the effects of all face up monsters are now negated. All it costs is a mere 1000 Life Points."

Dalton's shocked expression turned into a grin. "You should be careful with that. Certain actions may come back and haunt you!"

Wesley raised an eyebrow and as his Life Points dropped to 1500, he suddenly felt his heart beating faster. More white hair started to cover his legs and part of his face. His white hair started to grow longer, as well as his ears.

"It doesn't bother me," Wesley said with a shake of his head. "I'll play Freya, Spirit of Victory (100/100) in Defense Mode."

Wesley's next monster was a humanoid looking girl with a black and blue dress, matching blue hair, golden rings around her wrists and ankles and pink cheerleader pompoms. Her wide grin was cute enough to make Bastion blush.

_What a move! _Bastion thought. _Even though her ability to power up Wesley's fairy monsters is cancelled thanks to Skill Drain, she's still so cute it doesn't matter!_

"Uh…Bastion?" Syrus asked. "What are you grinning about?"

Bastion quickly cleared his throat and looked away. "Oh, it's…nothing. Doesn't matter to me."

"Ohh, I see what it is," Syrus said with a grin.

"What's with him?" Sara asked.

"I forgot about this," Syrus explained, "but Bastion kinda has a thing for female monsters!"

Weevil and Rex doubled over with laughter while Sara's eyes widened. "Oh?"

"I do not!" Bastion spat out. "Such things are irrelevant, illogical, and just plain ridiculous!"

"Hey Bastion!" Weevil said, taking his glasses off to wipe his eyes. "Maybe if you score me some rare cards I can hook you up with my Prickle Fairy!"

"I DON'T CARE!"

Autumn, Alexis, and Blair could only stare as the boys argued.

"Shouldn't they be paying attention to the very dangerous Shadow Game down there?" Autumn asked.

Alexis put a hand on her head and muttered, "Boys…"

"Well, at least Jaden's still watching," Blair said, watching Jaden's back. What she didn't see was Jaden grinning his goofy grin, wondering how he can get in a shot at Bastion's love life.

Wesley continued with his turn, ignoring the shoutfest on the hill. "Majestic Mech – Goryu, attack his Darius with Cosmic Flux Blast!" Wesley shouted. Slowly turning into a werewolf must've been messing with Wesley's head to make him yell at someone.

From the opening in Goryu's chest, a beam of light charged up and launched, completely overtaking the field. In a matter of seconds, the light cleared…and Dalton's horse monster was still there. All three monsters were being protected by a sort of flashing blue barrier.

"Surprise, surprise!" Dalton said. "You flew right into my trap, Defensive Tactics! As long as I've got a Gladiator Beast monster on my field, you can't destroy my monsters or do any damage to my Life Points. Not only that, but after I play this card, I gotta put it in the bottom of my deck instead of my Graveyard."

"That's fine by me," Wesley said. "I'll place a card face down and it's back to you."

Dalton drew his next card and grinned. _Yes! My Battle Halberd! I can use this spell to destroy Skill Drain. After that, I'll bring out Laquari again and fuse my monsters together to summon Heraklinos! This is gonna be so good!_

"Your lucky streak's run out, punk!" Dalton snarled. "I'm gonna play the Equip Spell, Gladiator Beast's Battle Halberd! By equipping this to my Darius, I can destroy a Spell or Trap card once I destroy your monster!"

Wesley pushed up his sunglasses. _I need to time this just right…_

"It's crunch time! Gladiator Beast Darius, atta-"

_NOW! _"Not so fast!" Wesley said, raising his card. "I activate Zero Gravity! Now, all our monsters must switch modes. And as you know, a monster in Defense Mode can't attack."

Dalton growled as all three of his beasts took a knee while Wesley's Goryu curled up. At that same time, Freya perked up and started jumping up and down, waving her pompoms left and right (ATK: 100).

"Activating that card at the right at the start of the Battle Phase was brilliant!" Bastion said, blushing even more than ever now that Freya was more active.

"I hear you're pretty brilliant yourself, big boy!" That, of course, came from Weevil raising his voice and shoving Prickle Fairy right in Bastion's face. Rex fell over laughing again while Bastion tried to swipe Prickle Fairy out of Weevil's hand.

"Doesn't matter," Dalton said. "I'll switch them back next turn. Then I'll thrash you good!"

"There is no next turn for you," Wesley said as he drew his next card. "And as it just so happens, I just drew the card I needed to win: Fairy Meteor Crush!"

Dalton nearly bit his own tongue. "Aw man! Not that one!"

"Uh…guys?" Jaden asked as Wesley switched his monster back to Attack mode. "I think you guys should see this."

"I activate Fairy Meteor Crush and equip it to my Majestic Mech – Goryu!"

"C-Come on, man," Dalton said, almost whimpering. "Y-You don't have to go that far. I mean, we're friends, right?"

"I never made friends with rabid dogs," Wesley said. "My real friend…is Jerome Dalton."

Dalton's eyes twitched as Goryu's central core started to charge up.

"Majestic Mech – Goryu, attack Gladiator Beast Darius! Fairy Meteor Flux Blast!" Once again, a huge blast of light over took the field and Darius was blown to dust. The shock of the blast was so great that Dalton actually fell back from the docks and into the sea below them as his Life Points fell to zero.

_What happened?_ Dalton thought. _I couldn't win even after two years…even with this power…I still couldn't win. Why?

* * *

_

Wesley: Dalton...why did this have to happen? At what point did things go so wrong?

Duo-san: Next Chapter: **Don't Stop Fighting

* * *

**

Time for my next character profile!

Name: Wesley Reddings

Age: 18

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Stark white

Class: Obelisk Blue Third-Year

Deck: Fairy

Self-styled albino (even though his eyes aren't pink). Quiet. Stoic. Genius. He is a third year Obelisk and an excellent strategist. He's also really tall, about 6'2". Oddly enough, Wesley specializes in dueling with fairy monsters, his headliners being the Majestic Mechs. Despite his young appearance, Wesley is actually 18 years old. His family had to save money for an extra year before he could get in and Wesley became a freshman at Duel Academy at 16. After that, he started out at Slifer Red and quickly advanced to Ra Yellow, then Obelisk Blue, all in about a month and a half.

By the way, I now realize that I haven't added Dalton's profile yet. I will add it on to Chapter 36 a little later.


	40. Don't Stop Fighting

Chapter 40 – Don't Stop Fighting

Wesley stood at the edge of the docks and stared into the water where Dalton sank. His body, by now, had reverted back to its normal state. _You should be happy. You managed to get me down past half my Life Points. You've taken some giant leaps since back then…_

Two years ago, somewhere in New York City…

It was dark. It was snowing. A certain alley was popping with the sounds of brawling. A group of teenagers was getting the snot beaten out of them, bashed into brick walls, and a select few were thrown into a dumpster. At the top of the "food chain," so to speak, was none other than 14 year old Jerome Dalton, who was wearing a camo-print shirt, a black leather vest with chrome studs lining the shoulders, and torn black jeans. He also had some sort of black box strapped to his right leg. So far, the only damage he'd taken was a long scratch to the face, which was still bleeding.

"Well? Who else wants a piece of this?!"

Everyone backed away from Dalton as though he were a madman.

"Come on! Fight me!"

"Can you keep it down?"

Dalton spun around towards the other end of the alley. There stood a tall gangly boy with stark white hair, round sunglasses, and a standard Obelisk Blue uniform. Holding his hand was a little girl, who looked no older than nine. She had similar colored hair, hazel-colored eyes, and a rather heavy looking jacket. She was carrying an Academy issued Duel Disk under her right arm.

"My sister's afraid of loud noises," the boy said calmly.

Dalton glared at the boy. "What'd you say, punk?"

"I'm telling you to shut up," the boy answered.

"You lousy, stinkin'…!" Dalton yelled as he charged at the boy. The little girl promptly let go of her brother's hand and hid behind his back. Just as Dalton was about to punch his ever-loving lights out, the boy's hand quickly caught his fist before it could reach his face.

_What the…?! _Dalton thought. _He caught it?!_

While Dalton was still astounded, the tall boy raised his hand to Dalton's face and pushed him back, sending him tumbling back and slamming against the dumpster.

"Yay, Wesley!" The girl cheered. "Get'm big brother!"

"Julia," the boy said, "please stand back."

_So the rat's name is Wesley, huh? Good. I'll put that on his tombstone!_ Dalton got up and charged at Wesley while the little girl, Julia, ran back and watched behind a trash can. Wesley kept ducking and dodging while Dalton kept swinging at him angrily. _Why can't I hit him?!_

"Must we do this in front of my sister?"

"STOP MOVING SO I CAN SLUG YOU!"

WHAM! At that exact moment, Wesley stood still and Dalton's fist collided squarely in his face. Wesley's glasses cracked under the pressure and his forehead started to bleed. Dalton was a bit surprised because Wesley didn't even move, let alone flinch, after getting smashed in the face. Julia covered her mouth with her hands. She was so scared.

"Julia," Wesley said.

"Y-Yes, big brother?"

"Turn around and look at the snow, please."

"Okay!"

Dalton was confused. But after Julia turned around, Wesley quickly grabbed him by the arm and swung him over his shoulder. Dalton felt his spine crack a little when he hit the ground. Wesley then knelt down next to him.

"You're a duelist, aren't you?"

Dalton's eye twitched. "What are you talking about?"

"The box strapped to your leg is used for holding Duel Monsters cards. I know this because I have one like it on my belt."

Dalton struggled to get up, despite his back injury. "Yeah, I duel. I play cards. So what?"

"Wow!" Julia said seemingly from out of nowhere. "You're just like my brother! Does this mean you're going to Duel Academy?"

Dalton blinked. "Duel Academy? Is that where you got your fancy jacket?"

Wesley got up and walked over to his sister. "You could never beat me with your fists alone. If you're willing to fight me again, then come to Duel Academy. I will wait for you at Obelisk Blue."

_Obelisk WHAT?_

Julia took Wesley's hand and followed him out of the alley, leaving Dalton dumbstruck. A while later, the other teenagers left the alley little by little, talking about how cool Wesley was and/or how pathetic Dalton was in comparison. Listening to it all made him grind his teeth in anger. He then punched a brick wall out of sheer frustration.

"Fine, stupid albino," Dalton said. "I'll take you on whenever you want."

--And now...--

Wesley continued to look at his reflection in the water. _I wonder what's taking him so long?_

"Mr. Reddings! What are you standing around for?!"

That came from Professor Autumn. Wesley turned and saw her and the others at the top of the hill. He looked as though he just noticed they were there.

"Go in after him!" Autumn yelled. "He can't swim if he's unconscious!"

"Oh! Right!" Just as Wesley was about to jump in, something burst out of the water and landed about six feet behind him.

"What the…?"

"Is that…?!"

"It's her!"

"It's who?"

In that order, it was Rex, Jaden, Weevil, then Alexis. Dalton's limp body was carried by a woman in a red gown with black silky hair. It seemed that he had reverted back to his human form underwater. What was strange was that, while Dalton was completely soaked, the woman was bone dry, from the fibers in her dress to the smallest strands of her hair.

At that same time, Winged Kuriboh emerged, shivering like a wet puppy upon seeing this woman. Weevil's Prickle Fairy simply narrowed her eyes. And Ojama Yellow whispered in Chazz's ear, "Uh…boss? This lady's givin' me the willies!"

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Wesley asked. "I can't quite put my finger on it…"

The woman simply responded by dropping Dalton onto the ground. "I'd like to thank the both of you for that rather interesting demonstration. I realize now that humans make much more resilient lab rats than spirits."

"Lab rats? Spirits?" Wesley raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

The woman ignored these questions and turned to the hill where everyone else was. "As for the rest of you, what you have witnessed was a small sample of my Shadow Magic. I'd like you to keep dueling your hardest, and some of you may be spared when a certain time comes. So don't stop fighting, okay?" The real scary thing was that she said all this with a cheerful smile.

"What have you done to Dalton?" Wesley asked before looking up at the moon, which was still full and bright. "He's not a werewolf anymore. Have you somehow reversed his transformation?"

"Your friend is fine in body," the woman responded, "however, I cannot say the same for his soul."

Behind Wesley's sunglasses was a look of pure horror. "You mean…"

"When a Shadow Game is finished, the winner must decide a 'Penalty Game' for the loser. If you cannot, then I will. And unless you can beat me in a duel, then your friend will never move again."

Everyone seemed mortified at how the woman in red could just say something like that so calmly, and even more so now that they know what happened.

"Oh, and I'll be taking this back as well," the woman said, holding up Dalton's Shadow Gauntlet. "We will speak again."

"I can't let you take that!" Wesley ran as fast as his long legs could carry him, but the woman had already faded away into nothing, Shadow Charm and all. He was left alone with Dalton's lifeless body.

"Well?"

Wesley turned around. That came from Sara, who had already come down from the hill with Bastion and the other Obelisks.

"What are you going to do?" Sara asked.

"Nothing," Wesley said. "Not right now."

Alexis was starting to get frustrated. "Dalton just lost his soul! Couldn't you just drop the cool front for one minute?!"

And as soon as she got into Wesley's face, she knew she shouldn't have. She couldn't tell from behind, but she could now see a silent stream of tears flowing from under his sunglasses.

"Wesley, I…"

"Syrus?"

Syrus immediately stood up straight. "Y-Yes?"

"Help me carry him to the hospital room," Wesley said, putting Dalton's right arm over his shoulder. "You don't expect me to drag him all the way up by myself, right?"

"Right. I mean, no. I mean…coming!" Syrus immediately went over and put Dalton's left arm over his shoulder. He really was as heavy as he looked.

"Bastion," Wesley said, "head back to the Ra dorms immediately. I don't need you getting chewed out by Professor Satyr."

"All right." Bastion immediately ran off in the direction of the Ra dorms.

"Girls?" Wesley addressed Sara and Alexis. "I want you to head back to the Obelisk Girls dorms and tell Ms. Fontaine what happened. She'll want to see this."

"Ugh…Ms. Fontaine's always so rude this late at night," Alexis said as they left the docks…

"Hey!"

Or at least they would've, had their attention not suddenly have been grabbed by Jaden Yuki. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Just go to sleep!" Wesley shouted back, causing the Slifers to crash to the ground. Weevil noticed Sara smile a bit after that quick fall…

"I still say she wants you," Rex said with a smirk.

"DARN IT, REX!" Weevil raised his fist…

"BOYS!"

Before it could develop into an actual fight, the whole world seemed to come to a halt when Professor Autumn raised her voice. She did not look happy in the least.

"Never in my life…" Autumn said with a tinge of annoyance. "I have never been more disappointed in your behavior. A Shadow Game is_never_ to be taken lightly, no matter what the circumstances. Remember that!"

The boys stared as Professor Autumn marched angrily back to her room.

"I never thought I'd see Professor Autumn so angry like that," Jaden said as he headed back upstairs.

"Serves them right," Chazz said.

And from seemingly out of nowhere, Blair smacked the two of them both in the back of the head.

"What was that for?!" Weevil and Rex said in unison.

"Alexis was right," Blair said, while marching back to her room as well. "Boys…"

Professor Autumn's head hung low as she slipped out of her go-go boots and plopped back on her bed. She was simply too tired to change her clothes or even take off her glasses. She looked at Pharaoh with lazy eyes as he hopped up on the bed, stretched out and curled up right next to her.

"Pharaoh?" Autumn asked. "Do you think I was too hard on them?"

The cat responded with a low "Mrrrow" and licked her nose, which made her giggle. She scratched him behind the ears.

_A Shadow Game,_ Autumn thought as her smile faded. _Is that it? Is that how you died?_

And as she fell asleep, she failed to notice a tall gangly man with glasses and long black hair in a ponytail sitting at the edge of her bed.

* * *

Duo-san: 50 points to Gryffindor if you know who that long-haired man is! Unfortunately I haven't made much progress on the next chapter since I am now tangled up in my schoolwork. Plus, I just got me a copy of **Super Smash Bros. Brawl.** However, I am about halfway done so I will update this as soon as I can. But first, I think it's time I answered something I'm sure you've been wondering about...

* * *

Mystery Woman

Name: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Eyes: Amber yellow

Hair: Silky jet black

Class: None

Deck: Unknown

Not much is known about this woman. She works in the shadows and shows her face to people whenever _she_ feels like it. She is frozen-hearted, manipulative, and seems to have some sort of power that can grant Duel Monster spirits physical form. It is unknown what she wants with the Shadow Charms or rather, what she wants at all. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.


	41. Back to School Again

First of all, I'd like to apologize for my next crappy title. They're getting harder and harder to come up with as the story goes on. Second, I should correct myself and grant 50 Points to Tera-Earth of _Ravenclaw_. Yes, that was Professor Banner. And yes, they do have a sort of connection, which I will not elaborate on until much later. Oh, and to my dear friend Crazy Little Devil...

-clears throat- **YOU FAIL!!**

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 41 – Back to School Again

Ra Yellow girls' dorm. 1:00pm.

After three days of resting and recovering in the Hospital room (while her classmates were kind enough to bring her homework to her), Ichigo June had decided to spend the day outside. After all, the weather was really nice. She was seen sitting under a tree, reading a book on deck construction called "Decks for Dummies."

"There you are. I've been looking for you."

Ichigo turned around to see Missy heading her way.

"Oh. Hello, Missy."

"Don't talk to me like we're friends," Missy snapped.

Ichigo tilted her head. "But we are friends, aren't we? I mean, we're already roommates so why shouldn't we be friends?"

Missy's eyebrows furrowed as she bit her lip for a second. "You're lucky you're so polite or I'd smack you silly."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ichigo asked as Missy sat down next to her.

"Oh yeah. I wanted to tell you that you've been requested for a duel."

"A duel?" Ichigo looked at Missy. "With whom?"

"Ethan Pisces," Missy continued. "A second-year in Obelisk Blue."

Ichigo nearly dropped her book. _Another boy…oh man._ "Never heard of him."

"Oh?" Missy raised an eyebrow. "Well Ethan tells me he's seen you plenty of times in Introduction to Card Designing class. From what I recall, he duels using an ocean deck. I will also admit, he is good looking but…"

"Not as good looking as Zane, right?" Ichigo said with a dull stare. It was apparent that even after she joined the Yellow dorm, she still wouldn't stop talking about Zane. "Honestly, what is your deal? I know he's handsome and all, but have you seen him on TV lately? The way he duels, the way he talks…he's just so scary!"

"That's why he's so great!" Missy said with a slight blush. "Bad boys like that always drive me wild!"

"…You liar."

Missy nearly hurt her neck as she stared back at Ichigo, who merely turned a page in her book. "What was that?"

"If that were true, then you never would've gone with Syrus to the dance."

Missy put a hand to her temple. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"All I'm saying is that you just have to give him a chance. I mean, he's really polite and he does look super cool in that Obelisk Blue coat **(A/N: He really does)**. Besides…" Ichigo smiled. "…you know you like him."

"Oh?" Missy said with a smirk. "Then what about you and dino-brain?"

Ichigo stared at Missy as though she were drunk. "Rex??"

"Yeah. You two looked like you were really hitting it off during the dance!"

Ichigo waved her hands defensively. "I-I'm sorry. He's a good friend and all, but I already like someone else." _I think. Ever since before the plane ride, Mokuba hasn't spoken to me once the entire time we were here. I honestly thought he saved my life when I was being controlled by that creepy Baby monster. But…it was…_

"By the way," Ichigo said with a sudden thought, "when exactly is my duel?"

"Um…Saturday at noon. Why?"

"That's two days from now." Ichigo stood straight up with a look of horror on her face. "MY DECK STILL ISN'T READY!"

Professor Autumn's classroom. Around the same time.

"Legend has it that the founder of Egyptian alchemy was the god Thoth, called Hermes-Thoth or Thrice-Great Hermes by the Greeks. According to legend, he wrote what were called the forty-two Books of Knowledge, covering all fields of knowledge—including alchemy. Hermes's symbol was the caduceus or serpent-staff, which became one of many of alchemy's principal symbols. The 'Emerald Tablet' or _Hermetica_ of Thrice-Great Hermes, which is known only through Greek and Arabic translations, is generally understood to form the basis for Western alchemical philosophy and practice, called the hermetic philosophy by its early practitioners."

Once again, the entire classroom had fallen asleep during Professor Autumn's long, boring lecture. Even Pharaoh had fallen asleep on her chair. Jaden had actually drawn pupils on his eyelids so he could at least look like he was awake. Sara, however, was still awake staring dully at the good Professor. But she was not the only one. Weevil and Rex couldn't bring themselves to fall asleep after what happened last night. Wesley wasn't even in the classroom for obvious reasons.

"Hey Rex," Weevil whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You're still thinking about what she said last night, right?"

"What about it?"

"When we first took a piece of the Orichalcos, we didn't know nor care what we were getting ourselves into. All that mattered was our personal power and glory. Don't you get it? This is the Orichalcos all over again."

As they spoke, neither one noticed that Sara was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Rex put a hand to his chin. "We need to find out more about these Shadow Games. But I doubt we could just find any little thing about them in the library. What do you think?"

Weevil pushed up his glasses. "I think...we need to talk to that Séance Club guy."

_Séance Club?_ Sara's eyes widened a bit. _Are they talking about Torrey?_

And at that exact instant, the school bell rang and Professor Autumn closed her book and went over to her desk. "That's all for today. I will remind you again that I will accept your usual assignments by the end of the week. Thank you." The instant she sat down, she heard a rather feline screech and immediately got back up and backed against the wall. The students roared with laughter as she watched Pharaoh run away.

"So…you want to see Torrey?"

While they were putting their books away, Weevil and Rex looked at Sara, who had just turned around and spoken to them.

"Yeah," Weevil said. "And?"

Sara got up from her seat and walked out of her row to meet with the boys. As she looked at Weevil with her usual creepy stare, he didn't even flinch. He'd been stared at like that enough times that he'd gotten used to it by now.

"I will take you to him."

Weevil stared at her in confusion. "Huh?!"

"I've been thinking about joining this Séance Club myself."

_Somehow, I'm not surprised._ "Fine. But you know what that means…" Weevil added with a sneer.

Sara blinked. "No I don't. What does it mean?"

"It means…"

_Just because I gave up doesn't mean you won the bet._

_Yes it does!_

_No it doesn't…_

Sara stared at Weevil wide-eyed while he grinned like an idiot. After a few silent seconds, Rex's PDA started beeping. Weevil and Sara watched as Rex pulled his PDA out of his pocket and pressed the mail button.

"Rex, it's me!" Ichigo's face wailed through the screen. "You have to help me! I'm scheduled to duel in two days and my deck's nowhere near ready! Oh, I can't take this kind of pressure! Please call me back as soon as you can!"

After that, the screen went blank. Rex stared blankly at Weevil, who was grinning even wider, and Sara, who didn't get it.

"WHAT?!" Rex snapped.

"Nothing!" Weevil said.

"Ugh…look. You guys just go and I'll catch up later."

"You do that, lover boy!" Weevil said before he tripped and his glasses fell off his face.

Sara merely shook her head and walked on by herself while Weevil fished around for his glasses. _They're both idiots._

Later…

After managing to shake Weevil off his back, Rex sat down in front of the main building and took out his PDA, wondering how he should respond. He then cleared his throat and pressed "Record."

"This is Rex. And…uh…I got your message and…"

"There you are!"

Rex was interrupted all too soon by, ironically, Ichigo June, who was carrying a small purse with strawberry print. Judging by her lack of breath and slouching posture, she looked like she had been running around at least half the island looking for him.

Rex stared at her for a second, then said "Nevermind" and turned off his PDA.

At that same time…

Weevil and Sara eventually found Torrey in the school library reading some sort of manga Weevil's never even heard of.

"So you _both_ want to join the Séance Club?" Torrey asked.

"Yeah," Weevil said. "I don't know about her (he pointed his thumb back at Sara), but I need to know if you know anything about Shadow Games."

"Well," Torrey said, reaching into his school bag, "we don't quite know much about them ourselves, but I do happen to have an interesting article I came across on the internet. Have a look at this."

Torrey put a piece of paper on the table and Weevil and Sara leaned in for a closer look. The article was about a stone tablet in Domino Museum. There was a picture of that same tablet behind a rather beautiful woman with semi-dark skin and black hair. Her clothing displayed that she was probably of Egyptian heritage.

_That woman…I saw her in Battle City! _Weevil thought.

"That stone tablet," Torrey said, "has something to do with the origin of Duel Monsters. Take a close look at the carvings on it."

Weevil squinted at the picture, but his eyes shot wide open immediately afterward. "WHAT THE F…?!"

Weevil was then immediately "SHHHHH!"-ed by several people in the library.

"These carvings look like Duel Monsters cards," Weevil said much more quietly. "Is this thing real?"

"It's as real as can be," Torrey said.

"Now that I think about it," Sara chimed in, "Professor Autumn said something during class about magic being used to summon the spirits of Duel Monsters. Perhaps these carvings are an interpretation of how it worked."

"Exactly," Torrey continued. "In ancient Egypt, sorcerers supposedly used some kind of dark magic to bring the monsters to life."

Weevil wasn't listening though. His eyes had already wandered to a different part of the stone: a carving of a man with familiarly spiked hair.

"YUGI?!"

"SHHHHH!!" Weevil had already covered his mouth when the other students shushed him again.

"What is wrong with you?" Sara asked, looking at Weevil like he was hysterical.

_There's no mistaking it! _Weevil thought. _That's Yugi! And that monster behind him is the Dark Magician! But why is he carved on this rock?!_

"I was a little surprised myself when I first saw this," Torrey explained. "I did some research and it turns out that the Yugi you know is the reincarnation of a 5,000 year old Pharaoh."

"I know that," Weevil said, causing Sara and Torrey to stare at him. "I mean he…he said it himself once. I didn't think he was that important!"

"He did?" Sara asked.

"Hmm…must've missed that part," Torrey said, scratching his head.

Weevil was starting to sweat. "So…uh…what time do you guys meet?"

"Come to the Obelisk Blue boys dorm at 9:00 Saturday night," Torrey said with a nod. "And…you might want to tell your headmistress where you're going first."

"Sure, sure." Weevil said with a sheepish grin. _That was too close. I thought I'd have to explain exactly how much I know._

Weevil hadn't noticed, however, that Sara was staring at him suspiciously.

* * *

Duo-san: Yes, that's Ishizu Ishtar in that article. Yes, Weevil almost said the F-word. No, I don't plan to actually going to use that word any time during this fic.

Weevil: What? Fudge?

Duo-san: No, but that's very, very close. But enough about that. In the next chapter, things get real scandalous.

Rex: How scandalous are we talking?

Duo-san: -whisper, whisper-

Rex: Whaaaaat?

Ichigo: What did he say?

Rex: ...He said "no comment."

Duo-san: The next chapter is called **Boredom is Dangerous.** Oh, and once again, I'd like to thank Wikipedia for that alchemy bit.


	42. Boredom is Dangerous

* * *

Before I begin, I'd just like to say one thing: Crazy Little Devil? **ULTIMATE FAIL!** As I mentioned before, the guy sitting on Professor Autumn's bed at the end of Chapter 40 was _Professor Banner._ Read the chapter over again and call me in the morning!

* * *

Chapter 42 – Boredom is Dangerous

The door opened and Ichigo seemed a little unsatisfied with the living conditions Rex was put into. Of course, even if you _lived_ in the Slifer Red dorms day after day, you wouldn't be too happy either.

"So this is it," Rex said. "Casa de la Rex."

"It's a little…dreary," Ichigo said.

"I know it's crappy," Rex said. "You can say what you want."

"So I can honestly say that this place stinks?" Ichigo asked.

"Sure!" Rex said. "I don't plan on staying in this dump forever! Now, onto business: let's see your cards."

"Okay, but…" Ichigo looked around a bit. "…where should I put them?"

"Huh?" Rex raised an eyebrow at her. "Look, just let me see what you have left of your old deck first."

Ichigo handed Rex her cards after he sat down on the bottom bunk. He shuffled through them rather quickly, pausing a few times to look at certain cards. He made a rather incensed glare when he picked up Harpie Lady 1, which made Ichigo a little nervous.

"Is this all you have?" Rex asked.

"Well, yeah," Ichigo said, glancing away, "I mean that monster threw away my other cards, right?"

"No, I mean don't you have any spare cards that you can show me?"

"Oh! Well…I might have some in my purse."

"All right, let me think." Rex stopped and rubbed his temple for a few seconds. "Obviously, we need to focus on either Wind-attribute cards or Winged-Beast cards. I bet Weevil has some Wind cards stashed away. But first, let me see what you got."

Ichigo opened her purse and took out a small gray box which looked like it was about to burst. Rex carelessly opened the box and two dozen cards (approximately) burst out of the box right in his face (of course, the rest are still inside). Ichigo couldn't help but giggle at the exasperation on Rex's face.

"Let's just get this over with," Rex grumbled.

"Is there a reason you're following me?" Weevil asked as he headed back to the Slifer Red dorm…with Sara in tow.

"No reason," Sara said. "Right now, I'm just bored. And I personally think that alchemy report can wait."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Hey guys!"

Weevil and Sara turned around to see Jaden heading their way.

"You weren't back yet?" Weevil asked. "What's the deal?"

"Professor Autumn gave me detention," Jaden said. "I think that was my longest 'days-without-dentention' record yet."

Weevil stared at Jaden while a gust of wind blew by. "You really are too happy for your own good."

"No crime against that," Jaden said.

That's when they heard someone screaming at the top of her lungs.

Sara's eyes widened. "That sounded like…"

"Ichigo's in trouble! We gotta help her!" Jaden shouted, bolting towards the dorms.

"Why do I have to help?!" Weevil asked while Sara dragged him by the collar of his jacket.

The instant they got to the second floor…

"Do it harder! HARDER!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?!"

…the three of them came to a sudden halt. They were treated to various strange noises coming from behind Rex's door.

"Oh! Oh my God!" Ichigo screamed.

"Jeez, will you hold still?!" Rex shouted.

"…" Sara's eyes widened comically.

"…" Weevil was actually turning blue in the face.

"Are they…killing each other?" Jaden asked, causing Weevil and Sara to sweatdrop.

"Ah…it's coming! It's coming!"

"MOVE IT, Ichigo!"

"I've gotta stop them!" Jaden shouted, running ahead.

"Jaden, WAIT!" Sara shouted back, but it was too late.

As soon as Jaden opened the door, a shoe smashed right into his face, sending him careening back on the floor with his head between his ankles and his butt in the air (A/N: This is a lot funnier in slow motion). And right after that, Weevil saw a rat scurrying out of the room.

"You missed the rat," Ichigo shouted, "and you just pegged that Jaden guy!"

"Yeah," Rex said. "At least we got it out. And Jaden made a pretty cool arc when he fell back."

Weevil blinked at the embarrassing situation. "A…rat?"

"They were…" Sara said quietly, "…chasing a rat."

"Oh, hey Weevil," Rex said, stepping out of the room. "What's up?"

Sara turned around and walked downstairs. "I'm not that bored. Goodbye."

"Uh…Sara!" Weevil started, but he was immediately frozen when Sara sent him a glare that seemed to shout "No".

"…Things not working out?" Rex asked.

A little later, back in Weevil and Rex's room…

"So let me get this straight," Weevil said, rubbing his knuckles after giving Rex a black eye, "you want me to hook you up with some Wind cards?"

Ichigo nodded. "If you have any…"

Weevil snorted. "If I have any, she says. I'm sure I have plenty of throwaway cards for you to choose from."

"Really?" Ichigo jumped up from the bottom bunk.

"Hold your horses," Weevil said. "Let me find them first."

And thus, Weevil searched every corner of the room until he found a shoe box in the closet. He placed it on the bed and opened it. It was stuffed with cards.

"Wow!" Ichigo said with a smile. "It's the motherload!"

"I never thought I'd actually bring these out for something," Weevil said. "Take what you need!"

Ichigo laughed as she dug through the pile of cards in the shoe box, muttering things like "I've never even seen this one" or "This one might work".

"You're being unusually generous today, Weevil," Rex said, suspiciously. He grew even more suspicious when Weevil didn't answer. "You're gonna swindle her, aren't you?!" Once again, Weevil didn't answer, but instead walked over to Ichigo as she added a Bladefly to her hand.

"Just so you know," Weevil said, "I'm not giving you these for free."

"Huh?!" Ichigo stared at Weevil as though he were hopped up on something.

"My sources (Rex's PDA) have informed me that you're set to duel on Saturday," Weevil said, pushing up his glasses. "All you have to do is win and you can keep all those cards free of charge. Lose, and you give them all back…as well as one of your rarest cards," he added with a sneer. Ichigo, however, didn't get to respond because Rex had already kicked Weevil in the "mommy-daddy button" right from behind. And thus, Weevil proceeded to shriek loud enough to crack your computer screen.

"You just keep searching," Rex said, while Weevil curled up in a ball on the floor like most incapacitated insects.

At that exact time, Jaden burst into the room with a footprint on his face.

"I heard screaming!" Jaden shouted. "Is everyone all right? Why is Weevil on the floor like that?"

Ichigo felt a vein throb in the back of her head as she put her fingers to her temple. "You guys are insane…"

Saturday, Noon. D-Day (Duel Day).

Once again, the Obelisk Blue arena was buzzing left and right with chatter about the duel and the two "warriors" for today. Weevil and Rex decided to take a couple of seats way up close to the action.

"What do you think?" Rex asked.

"She took like half of my throwaway cards," Weevil said. "It's hard to duel with a last-minute deck."

"And on top of that, there's her opponent."

Weevil and Rex turned around to see Missy and Sara sitting behind them.

"Huh?" Weevil blinked. "I know you."

"Oh?" Missy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Weevil said. "You're that Syrus kid's girlfriend!"

At that instant, Missy gave Weevil a rather buggy glare as though calling her Syrus' girlfriend was a serious insult. "At least I'm not cookie-cutting other people's decks."

Elsewhere in the audience, Dimitri sneezed.

"Cookie-cutting," Weevil explained, putting a strain on each word, "is a term for copying someone else's deck. I was using insect monsters much longer than you were. And you've obviously watched the Japan finals. _You're_ the faker!"

"I'm WHAT?!"

Weevil and Missy got up and growled at each other before Sara loudly cleared her throat. "What were you saying before?"

Missy sat back down in her seat and brushed her hair out of her face. "Sorry. Anyway, as I've said before, Ethan specializes in using Water-attribute cards. Not only that…but he's a boy."

The boys stared at her as though she were mental. "Um…duh."

Missy blinked. "She never told you about her little problem? I thought she did."

"Told us what?" Rex asked.

Missy laughed softly, as though it was obvious. "Don't you know why she makes mistakes when she duels? Let me tell you a little something I found out first hand. Ichigo is a better duelist than she gives herself credit for. Especially when she duels with other girls. But when her opponent is a boy, she starts to make mistakes whenever she's overwhelmed."

_That explains what happened during our duel,_ Rex thought to himself. "But what's the deal? What does it matter whether your opponent is a boy or a girl?"

"It matters to her," Missy continued, folding her arms. "I don't know all the details, but I gathered this much just from watching her and talking to her…Ichigo has a fear of men."

"HUH?!" Weevil and Rex both stared at Missy wide-eyed.

"But I'm not worried," Missy said with a smirk. "The other girls at the Ra Dorm have a little surprise for her, just in case she loses her confidence."

"Surprise?" Rex asked.

At that exact moment, Dr. Crowler took to the dueling platform with a microphone in hand. "Welcome, students, to today's exhibition duel! I certainly hope you learn plenty from this duel. And without further ado, let's welcome today's opponent's!"

The audience cheered loudly. And at that exact same moment, Jaden and Syrus made it to the other side of the dueling arena, sitting next to Bastion.

"What took you so long?" Bastion asked.

"My alarm clock was broken," Jaden said.

"That's because you broke it!" Syrus said.

"Now then," Crowler continued, "in this corner, representing the ladies of Ra Yellow, Ichigo June!"

Ichigo entered the arena with a rather glum look on her face. She was taken aback by most of the students cheering.

_Look at all these people,_ Ichigo thought. _I wonder where Mokuba is…oh, there he is! Why is he sitting way in the back?_

And true to her word, there was Mokuba sitting in one of the top rows, with his arms folded. Perhaps it's to keep the girls from spotting him. Of course, this didn't work, as Ichigo spotted him right off the bat.

"And in this corner," Crowler continued once again, "hailing from Obelisk Blue, your favorite and mine, Ethan Pisces!"

* * *

Duo-san: Who is Ethan Pisces? What is this surprise the girls have prepared?

Rex: And how many times has _that_ happened to you? (the "rat" incident)

Duo-san: The next chapter is called **Battle in the Big Blue: Ichigo VS Ethan!**

Jaden: Why didn't they just get Pharaoh to get the rat?

Ichigo: ...Why not?


	43. Battle in the Big Blue: Ichigo VS Ethan

I know this one seems a little short. But I promise the next one will be much longer. Just be patient.

Chapter 43 – Battle in the Big Blue: Ichigo VS Ethan

The crowd cheered once again as the boy slowly made his way to the platform. He was rather skinny, stood at 6'0" (5'8" because he was hunched over), and his blue hair – not as bright as Sy's, but not as dark as Zane's – covered his left eye. He wore a standard Obelisk Blue coat and tight white khakis and for some reason, his eyes were closed.

_Oh, __that's__ Ethan!_ Ichigo thought. _I remember now. He does some amazing ink work. But why are his eyes closed?_

_Focus,_ Ethan thought. _Focus. Focus._

Ethan's eyes opened slowly. They were a nice deep shade of green. Upon gazing at the shy Ichigo, his face started to turn red and he shut his eyes almost immediately. _Crap! I can't concentrate!_

_Oh…poor guy._ Ichigo thought. _He must be as nervous as I am, even though he's in Obelisk Blue._

"That's him?" Rex asked.

"This guy's a wuss!" Weevil said.

"I guess so," Missy said, looking a tad disappointed. "What was I thinking?"

"You should not underestimate him," Sara said.

"Now then," Dr. Crowler said, "are you two ready?"

"I am," Ichigo said quietly. "And…good luck, Ethan."

Ethan's mouth hung open as though he were about to say something, but he closed it and simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"Very well then," Dr. Crowler said. "Begin!"

Ichigo and Ethan both activated their duel disks and set their Life Points to 4000.

"DUEL!"

"I think…Yeah, you can go first," Ethan said, drawing five cards.

"Okay," Ichigo said, drawing _six_ cards. _What to do, what to do…_ "I'll start by playing Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400/900) in Attack Mode!" The dragonfly monster she borrowed from Weevil materialized on the field. "Then I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

"All right…" _The only monsters in my hand are too high to summon right off the bat. But maybe…_ Ethan drew a card from his deck. "Yeah, this'll work. First thing's first! I'll play the Field Spell, A Legendary Ocean!"

In seconds, the entire dueling platform seemed to be filling up with water. The two were also surrounded by a sort of ruins and various fish swimming around. It was as though they were dueling in a giant fish tank. And for some reason, Ichigo was holding her nose.

Ethan blinked. "…Why are you holding your breath? This is all holographic, remember?"

Ichigo promptly exhaled right after that. "Oh…yeah."

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Rex," Weevil said while Rex shook his head in frustration.

"In case you don't know," Ethan continued, "my Ocean downgrades all the Water-Attribute monsters in both our hands and on the field by one level. Plus, it gives said Water monsters a 200 point Attack/Defense boost."

_Oh man, _Ichigo thought. _I don't have any Water monsters!_

"Next up is Creeping Doom Manta (1300/1200) in Attack Mode!" Ethan's first monster was a giant blue manta ray with glowing skull marks near the base of its tail. Its Attack and Defense points were then boosted to 1500 and 1400, respectively. "Oh, and since I've summoned my Doom Manta successfully, you can't activate any trap cards this turn."

_That's not good,_ Ichigo thought.

"Creeping Doom Manta, attack her Flying Kamakiri!"

Ethan's Manta slowly swam over and opened its huge mouth, swallowing Ichigo's Flying Kamakiri #1 in sort of a whirlpool. Ichigo, however, was not discouraged. She had only lost 100 Life Points (LP: 3900).

"Doesn't matter," Ichigo said, "because by destroying my Flying Kamakiri #1, I can summon a Wind monster from my deck with 1500 Attack points or less. And…let's see…I choose Harpie Lady 1 (1300/1400)!"

Ichigo's favored monster materialized on the field, striking a pose.

"And that's not all," Ichigo continued. "Her special ability powers up all Wind attribute monsters, including herself, by 300 Attack points!"

Harpie Lady 1 licked her claws as her Attack points rose to 1600.

"Fine," Ethan said. "I'll set a card face down and leave it at that."

"My turn!" Ichigo drew her next card. "Now, I'll summon Harpie's Brother (1800/600) in Attack Mode!" Harpie's Brother emerged on Ichigo's side of the field and his Attack points rose to 2100.

"That's not one of the cards I loaned her," Weevil said.

"I gave her a few of my extras as well," Missy said.

"Harpie's Brother," Ichigo commanded, "attack Creeping Doom Manta!"

Harpie's Brother, instead of flying, used his wings to give him a boost, using the water around him. However, Ethan raised his face down card.

"Activate trap! Shadow Spell!"

Black chains snaked out of the card and bound Harpie's Bro's arms and legs, then his whole body. He struggled to get out, but couldn't.

"That's too bad," Ethan said. "Your Harpie's Brother can't move or switch modes. Plus, its attack points are decreased by 700, but I guess it still gets the power boost from your Harpie Lady."

And just as he said, Harpie's Brother stood still as its Attack Points fell to 1400.

"I-It's okay," Ichigo said. "Harpie Lady 1 (1600), attack with Harpie Claw Slash!"

And in a similar manner, Ichigo's Harpie launched herself with the water and took a swipe at Creeping Doom Manta (1500) which shattered into pieces. (LP: 3900)

"And that ends my turn," Ichigo said.

"Looks like we're equally matched," Ethan said, "for now."

"For now?" Jaden asked. "What does that mean?"

"Weren't you paying attention, Jaden?" Bastion asked.

Jaden stared at Bastion, who merely put a hand to his head. "…Right. Look who I'm talking to."

"It means," Syrus said, "that with Legendary Ocean on the field, all of his high level monsters are gonna be easier to summon!"

"Next up," Ethan said, as he drew his card, "is Terrorking Salmon (2400/1000) in Attack Mode!"

Ethan's next monster was a giant black and red fish with a sharp beak for a mouth and sharp-ridged fins. Ichigo was getting scared just looking at the thing.

"So powerful…" Ichigo said quietly, "…it's insane…"

"You like it?" Ethan asked. "My Salmon is a Level 5 monster, but thanks to my Ocean, it's now a Level 4 monster. And let's not forget about its power boost!"

Terrorking Salmon shrieked as its Attack and Defense were raised to 2600 and 1200, respectively.

"Not only that," Ethan continued, "but I've also got a Spell card: Meteor of Destruction! So say goodbye to 1000 Life Points!"

Suddenly, Ichigo's Duel Disk started sparking like crazy and she screamed as her Life Points dropped to 2900.

"That's just not fair," Rex said.

"It's time, Salmon!" Ethan shouted. "Attack her Harpie's Brother!"

Terrorking Salmon shrieked again as it swam over and devoured the chained Harpie's Brother (1400) in its gaping maw. The shock of the attack combined with Ethan's Meteor caused Ichigo to fall to her knees and start chewing on her thumbnail (LP: 1700).

"And so, I end my…Ichigo?"

Ichigo couldn't move. She didn't even try to get up. She was scared stiff.

_He's too strong…and that Ocean makes him even stronger…I can't handle this…_

"That didn't take long," Weevil said.

Ichigo's hand started shaking as she raised it over her Duel Disk. _It's too much…I…_

"What the crap are you doing?!" Rex shouted, causing Weevil and Sara to stare. "Don't you dare forfeit or so help me…"

"NOW!"

Ichigo's hand stopped moving. That shout came from a row of Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue girls in one of the upper rows. Nearly everyone in the arena (including Dr. Crowler) turned to that spot in the audience where the cheering girls were holding up a banner with a couple strawberries and the kanji for "Ichi" on it.

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO! ICHIGO! ICHIGO!"

"Don't stop, Ichigo!"

"You're dueling for us!"

Ichigo felt tears welling up from her eyes. "You guys…I…"

"She's certainly got quite a few friends," Bastion said with a smile.

"Better add on one more," Syrus said, pointing to Jaden, who was also chanting Ichigo's name.

"Was this the surprise you were talking about?" Rex asked Missy, but she had already stood up.

"Ichigo June!"

Ichigo spun around and saw Missy scowling. What she didn't notice until that point was that Weevil and Rex were also sitting with her.

"You said we were friends, didn't you Ichigo?" Missy yelled. "Well, if you're gonna be my friend, then you'd better put that hand down and keep dueling!"

"…Missy…"

"What she said!" Rex shouted. "Now get on your feet and move!"

_So do what I do, get back on your feet, and keep moving!_

"Yeah!" Weevil shouted. "Besides, you owe me a rare card if you lose!" It was that comment that caused Rex to punch Weevil in the face.

"But…I…"

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo spun around again and looked at Ethan. For someone who was winning, he looked kind of glum. "Please continue. I wanted to duel you for a good while. It wouldn't feel right if you just gave up."

Ichigo's mouth hung open. She had no idea what to say.

_Answer me this. What is "something you can show, but you can't see?"_

Ichigo wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly stood up. _I came here because I thought I could conquer my fears. I came here because I wanted to be great. But I can't do anything if I just stop trying._ A new expression opened up on Ichigo's face. This expression showed determination. _Now I have an answer for the question you asked me that day._

"I am woman. HEAR ME ROAR!"

* * *

Missy: Ichigo's about to get all serious. So I'm gonna...

Weevil: You're gonna strip?!

Missy: What?! NO!! Don't perv yourself in front of me!

Weevil: Oh...I thought you'd be a little more fun than that.

Mai: I'll do it, if you can beat me in a duel.

Rex: YOU STAY OUTTA THIS!

Mai: How can I? After all, I'll be in the next chapter.

All: **HUUUUUH?!**

Duo-san: The next chapter is called **From the Big Blue to the Blue Yonder: Ichigo Blossoms!**

Mai: So...no objections, then?

Duo-san: Sorry. We're out of time.


	44. From the Big Blue to the Blue Yonder

I'm updating early this time so I can spend more time getting ready for the anime convention, Tekkoshocon (which is this weekend). I've been debating for some time whether I should take the time to make my chapters single-spaced or not. Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

Last time...

"I am woman! HEAR ME ROAR!"

And now...

* * *

Chapter 44 – From the Big Blue to the Blue Yonder: Ichigo Blossoms!

"Uh…okay," Ethan said with a sweatdrop. "I heard you. So I guess I'll end my turn." _I don't have any traps in my hand to set. Even so, I doubt she can beat my Terrorking Salmon so easily._

"It's my turn! Draw!" Ichigo drew her next card. "I activate the Spell, Reload! I'll add all four cards in my hand back to my deck, shuffle, and draw four new cards! Next up, I activate my trap, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! This returns your Salmon to the top of your deck, in exchange for a card from my hand. So I'll discard Harpie's Pet Dragon!"

And in a flash, Terrorking Salmon returned to the top of Ethan's deck.

"No big deal," Ethan said. "With my Legendary Ocean out, I can summon it again next turn."

"Yeah, well that's a problem," Ichigo said. "I realized that your entire strategy relies solely on your Legendary Ocean card. So let's just get rid of it!" An extra sleeve in Ichigo's duel disk opened and Ichigo placed a card in it.

Before their eyes, the entire ocean drained away and the stone structures crumbled. It was then replaced by a huge blue sky with thin white clouds and a hawk flying in the background. And for some reason, Ichigo's Harpie Lady 1 looked a lot happier than it was in the Ocean. Ethan clearly was not.

"What did you just do?" Ethan asked.

"I just played my Rising Air Current Field Spell," Ichigo explained. "My Wind monsters, as you can see, are much more at home up here. Rising Air Current increases the Attack of all Wind monsters by 500 points, but decreases their Defense by 400 points."

And as she spoke, Harpie Lady 1's points were bolstered once again to 2100/1000 (including the boost she got from her own ability).

"Uh oh…" Ethan gulped.

"We're doing things my way now!" Ichigo shouted. "Harpie Lady 1, attack Ethan directly! Harpie Claw Slash!"

With the new Field Spell, Harpie Lady 1 seemed much more flexible as evident by her sudden ascent into the air. She then dove down at Ethan with the force of a missile and took a slash at his chest. Ethan stumbled and fell on his back as his Life Points fell to 1800. And once again, Ichigo's support group went wild as well as another good portion of the crowd. Ichigo smiled as she waved to the audience.

"Look at her," Rex said. "She's so smug now."

"It's hard to see why she shouldn't be," Sara said.

"I'll end my turn with a face down card," Ichigo said.

"All right." Ethan got up and drew his next card. "And just so you know, I also had a Reload card in my hand from the start of the duel. So I'll play that, return my hand to my deck, shuffle, and draw another four cards. And…next up is the Ritual Spell, Turtle Oath!"

"A Ritual Spell?" Ichigo gasped.

"That's not good," Bastion said.

A turtle shell with spiritual tags and a rope tied around it appeared on the field. It seemed to exude an ominous aura.

"I'll explain how it works. First, I have to send a number of monsters that equal 8 stars to the graveyard. And it just so happens that I have a Level 8 monster in my hand: my Spiral Serpent. And by doing this, I can summon the Ritual Monster, Crab Turtle (2550/2500)!"

The turtleshell seal cracked and a white mist sprang out and started to cover the field. Ichigo shook a bit as _something_ stomped its way into position.

"Eww!" Ichigo yelled in disgust. "What _is_ that?!"

From the mists emerged a giant turtle standing on its hind legs with crab pincers protruding from its shell. What really disturbed Ichigo about this creature was that it had a single creepy yellow eye in place of its whole head (A/N: I really hope I described this thing properly).

"But first," Ethan continued, "I'm gonna take care of that facedown card with Mystical Space Typhoon!"

Ichigo's facedown card lifted for a moment and shattered before her eyes. _Not my Miyabi trap!_

"Now that that's out of the way, go Crab Turtle! Attack Harpie Lady 1!"

Harpie Lady 1 watched in horror as Crab Turtle stomped forward. When it tried to fly away, Crab Turtle caught it by the leg with its pincers and chopped it up into little pieces. Ichigo's Life Points fell to 1250.

"That doesn't scare me!" Ichigo said, with confidence this time.

"And it's back to you," Ethan said. _I'd love to see her get out of this…_

"I draw!" Ichigo drew her next card. "Just what I needed. First, I'll remove Harpie's Brother from my Graveyard to summon Silpheed (1700/700) in Attack Mode!"

Emerging from a sudden tornado was a male humanoid monster in robes of white with purple skin. A sudden gust of wind modified his points to 2200/300.

"What good will that do?" Ethan asked.

"None whatsoever," Ichigo responded. "This monster's gonna be a tribute!"

Ethan's eyes widened. "Tribute?!"

"Well, why not?" Missy said. "Silpheed can only be special summoned by removing a Wind-attribute monster from your grave. But even with the power boost from Rising Air Current, it's not strong enough to destroy that Crab Turtle."

"I sacrifice my Silpheed in order to summon Raiza the Storm Monarch (2400/1000)!"

"Raiza the WHAT?!" Weevil and Missy both said at once.

Ethan had to shield himself from a huge gust of wind that took the field all of a sudden. Descending onto the field was a huge warrior clad in green armor and an emerald green cape with his arms folded. Upon his appearance, his points were bolstered to 2900/600.

"And it doesn't stop there," Ichigo continued with a cheerful smile. "When my Raiza is successfully Tribute summoned, I can return one card on the field to the top of its owner's deck."

The wind picked up even more and Crab Turtle was blown onto its back and tumbled off the field.

"Where did she get that card?!" Weevil asked in shock.

"Don't look at me," Missy said. "I've never even seen that card!"

"Maybe someone else gave it to her," Rex said. "But who?"

Elsewhere, in the audience, a certain long-haired Ra smirked.

"Raiza, attack Ethan's Life Points directly! Tornado Eye!"

A swirling sphere formed in Raiza's hands and sent a huge burst of wind Ethan's way, actually blowing him off the platform and slamming right into Dr. Crowler. Both of them had thick spirals in their eyes as Ethan's Life Points fell to zero.

The crowd suddenly burst into an uproar and the "Ichi" girl squad cheered energetically, raising the strawberry banner once again. Ichigo, however, had bent over and was breathing heavily. "Never…dueled like that…so intense…so great…"

"She won!" Rex shouted. "Ichigo won!"

"Well she had to win," Missy said, "otherwise she'd probably have to give _you_ (she poked Weevil in the head) that Raiza card."

"Come on," Weevil said sheepishly. "I was just giving her some motivation!"

"It didn't sound very motivating," Sara said.

"Well, I guess I lose," Ethan said, getting up and dusting off his coat. "That was a good duel, so I'm gonna get going."

"Wait a minute!"

Ethan stopped and turned around to face Ichigo.

"There's something that's been bothering me during the whole duel, Ethan," Ichigo said with her finger to her lip. "Why did you want to duel me in the first place?"

Ethan suddenly stiffened up and tilted his head straight up. "Well…I was hoping to tell you later, but…I…might have a little crush on you."

Ichigo held her hands to her mouth and blushed like crazy. The audience started buzzing with chatter (including the girls holding the "Ichi" banner) and Rex's jaw hit the floor. Even Mokuba was a little surprised.

"But…but…why…"

"Why did I challenge you?" Ethan continued as he walked back up onto the platform. "I first saw you during Introduction to Card Design class and…I just couldn't believe how cute you were. Even now, I still can't believe it. So I thought I'd try and impress you with my dueling skills. I really didn't mean to be so rough on you."

Ichigo was still blushing. "I don't know what to say…"

"You just need to answer one question." Ethan slowly looked her in the eye. "Will you please go out on a date with me?"

Ichigo shivered a little. "Y-You're asking me out in front of all these people?"

"Kinda makes it harder to say no, doesn't it?"

Ichigo looked down at her feet. She could feel the anxious stares from everyone in the audience pressing down on her.

"Ethan…thank you."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Thank you?"

"I appreciate your feelings and…I think I'm getting a little more over my fears…but…" Ichigo's eyes glanced to the side. "…I already like someone else."

And just like that, every girl in the audience started chattering again. Rex and Mokuba's eyes widened a bit. _Someone else?_

"You like…someone else?" Ethan felt a little heartbroken. "I see…"

"But…if things don't work out," Ichigo continued, "I'll be happy to look you up. Besides, there are other girls out there and they're much better duelists than I am."

It was Ethan's turn to blush. "I…uh…well…"

"This boy really is a wuss," Sara said in a bored tone.

"What did I tell you?" Weevil sneered.

Later…

Ichigo sat right outside the main facility, with her legs tucked in and arms wrapped around her. She smiled as the wind blew through her hair. It was surprisingly quiet compared to 15 minutes ago with the chatterfest inside the building.

"Hey. Mind if I sit here?"

Once again, Ichigo turned to see Missy heading her way.

"Go for it," Ichigo said.

Missy sat down next to Ichigo, but she stretched out a little more.

"Missy," Ichigo started, "were you the one who made that banner?"

"It was my idea," Missy said, "but I had no part in actually making it. Besides, after I told you about your duel for today, I heard you talking in your sleep Thursday night. Something along the lines of, 'not being able to duel in a million years'?"

Ichigo looked at Missy wide-eyed.

"No girl should be afraid of boys," Missy said. "Especially cuties like you."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Is someone speaking from experience?"

"Don't hold your breath, pinky," Ichigo scoffed.

"Hey!"

The girls turned around and saw Rex at the top of the stairs.

"Yes?" Both girls said in unison.

"What did you mean when you said you liked 'someone else'?"

Ichigo slowly turned around and stared at the sky. "Well…"

Rex narrowed his eyes before Ichigo turned around and winked at him. "That's classified!"

"Classified?! What do you…?" Rex stopped short when turned his gaze upward. Ichigo looked in the same direction and gasped when she saw a card floating on the wind.

"It's my Harpie Girl!" Ichigo suddenly sprang up and ran after the card, jumping to try and catch it.

"What are you running for?!" Rex shouted as Missy ran after her. "It's not that impor…huh?"

Rex couldn't believe his eyes when she grabbed that card. For a minute, he thought he saw a real Harpie Girl taking Ichigo's hand. He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away, grumbling something about "not getting enough sleep."

* * *

Duo-san: Now, by this point, the chapter would be already over, but I've added a little history lesson on our Sakura-like duelist.

* * *

Five years ago…

"Pass it here!"

"I got it! I got it!"

While the other kids ran around in the playground playing soccer (or "football" as some people call it), a little ten-year-old girl with bubblegum pink hair and a cute red dress sat alone on a swing. She gently rocked herself back and forth while she stared glumly at a card which had been torn in half and promptly taped back together. All of a sudden, one of the boys (and a runny-nosed one at that) kicked the ball a little too hard and pegged someone in the head.

"Hey! Watch it!" a crass female voice yelled.

"Sorry, Miss."

The girl glanced over at where the voice came from and her eyes widened. It was a woman: a rather attractive blonde woman wearing a black trench coat with a white halter top underneath exposing a _lot_ of cleavage, a matching black miniskirt and long black leather high-heeled boots. Her eyes couldn't be seen because she was wearing black sunglasses. As soon as she laid eyes on that woman, she looked back and the girl immediately turned away. The woman then leaned over and picked up the ball.

"Hey kid," the woman called the boy over. "What's her deal?"

"Oh, that's Ichigo," the boy said with a sniffle.

"We've called her over a bunch of times to play with us," a girl with red pigtails and a sandcastle dress said, "but she won't do anything. She just sits there and stares at that broken card."

The woman blinked. "Broken?"

"Yeah," another boy said. "Ichigo used to love dueling until her tenth birthday. Her parents got her a duel disk and she decided to try it out on this teenager boy across the street."

"That boy beat her really, really bad," the pigtailed girl said. "And he ripped up one of her cards and called her a…well…I'm not allowed to say that word."

"He told her she couldn't duel in a million years," the runny-nose said. "But that was two months ago and sniff she still won't say or do anything!"

The woman looked at Ichigo for a few seconds before tossing the ball away. "Have fun, kids."

Various shouts of "Get it! Get it!" were heard as the kids nearly trampled each other to get the soccer ball. The blonde woman, however, walked right past the action and sat down on a swing next to Ichigo.

"Hi there."

Ichigo slowly looked up at the woman. There was no denying she was attractive, and her smile was truly heavenly, but Ichigo refused to say a word. The woman then plucked the card out of the girl's hand.

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled.

"Uh-huh. Fairy's Gift," the woman said, "and it's busted all right. I'd still say it's playable, but if you put a banged-up card like this on a Duel Disk, it'll look completely distorted."

Ichigo looked a little downcast before she looked down at the ground. "I didn't know Hot Topic was having a sale."

The woman nearly broke her neck when she stared back at Ichigo. "Ouch. So you've got a little fire in you. All it needed was a good stoking." The woman reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a card. "Why don't you take this?"

Ichigo took the card from her and looked at it. "This is…"

"Those kids told me about you," the woman said, watching the kids play soccer. "You should never let something a stupid boy tells you get you down, no matter how bad it hurts. If I did that, I wouldn't be who I am today. And by the way, I never once shopped at Hot Topic." (A/N: She's lying and she knows it.)

"I…um…thank you," Ichigo said shyly.

"By the way, answer me this," the woman said, pulling down her sunglasses. "What do you call 'something you can show, but you can't see'?"

"Something I can…what?" Ichigo looked at the card as she processed the woman's riddle. Her mind was coming up blank again and again. She suddenly stiffened up when the woman put her hand on Ichigo's head and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I've found that there are plenty of answers to that riddle. You have to decide your own answer. You're going to be a strong woman. You just don't see it yet." The woman got on her feet and held up the ripped Fairy's Gift card. "I'll hold on to this. Think of it as…a trade from me to you."

As the woman walked away, Ichigo got up from her swing. "Hold on! Just who in the world are you?"

The woman took off her sunglasses and winked at Ichigo. "The name's Mai."

Ichigo put her hands to her mouth. _Mai…Mai Valentine??_

"Maybe I'll see you again sometime," Mai said, putting her sunglasses back on. "Until then, you take care of that card, okay?"

Ichigo looked down at the card Mai gave her. It was Harpie Girl. Then she looked back up at Mai as she walked off the playground. _I don't believe it. Mai Valentine gave me a card!_

She looked up again and smiled. "I'll take great care of it! Thank you, Miss Mai!"

"Hey, Ichigo!"

Ichigo spun around to see the other kids.

"Come on! Give it a good kick, Ichigo!" the runny-nosed boy said, holding the soccer ball under his foot.

Ichigo blinked a couple times, then smiled. She stuffed the Harpie Girl card in her front pocket. _I'm going to be a strong woman!_

Ichigo ran and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She didn't realize that Mai was watching as she kicked the ball with all her might…right into a tree. A gust of wind blew by as the kids wondered how to get it down.

* * *

Duo-san: You've grown up a lot since then, Ichigo-chan.

Ichigo: I guess, but I'm still not as pretty as Mai. I mean, I'm 15 years old and I'm barely a B-cup.

Duo-san: Yeah. But you're still pretty cute. And...I don't know why you just told me that.

Ichigo: Neither do I.

Weevil: JUST GET TO THE CHAPTER TITLE, WILL YA?!

Duo-san: The next chapter is called **Another Spirit Summoned.** And if you still think Ethan is a filler only character, you are about to be very wrong.

Ethan: Is that...Dalton?!


	45. Another Spirit Summoned

I apologize for updating so late. I'm so busy getting my graduation portfolio ready. I don't think I'll have the chapter after this up on time so...yeah. I think I'll try this next chapter in single-space format. Let me know what you think.

* * *

Chapter 45 – Another Spirit Summoned

8:00 p.m.

After the duel, Ethan Pisces decided to watch the sunset from a cliff. His bangs swayed gently in the wind.  
"The sun is finally setting," Ethan said. "The ocean looks so cool all orange with the sunset like that." Ethan closed his eyes. "I wish you could watch this sunset with me…"_  
I already like someone else._  
"GAAAAH!!" Ethan angrily ground his teeth. "It makes me so mad! Does she have any idea how long it takes for me to get my hair to look like this?! And what's with this 'I like someone else' thing?" And suddenly, he calmed down in the blink of an eye. "What if she really does like someone else? Oh…" Ethan sat down on the cliff. "Suddenly the ocean doesn't look so cool anymore."  
"You're better off without her."  
Ethan suddenly noticed a cold, pale hand on his shoulder. He shuddered as he turned around to see a woman in red smiling at him. Part of him wanted to make a break for it and another part of him was scared stiff.  
"A…g-ghost…a…ghost…"  
He stopped sputtering when the woman put two fingers on his head, upon which he completely fell unconscious.  
"A soul filled with so much envy," the woman said. "P-e-r-f-e-c-t."

At that same time…  
Wesley sat outside the hospital room while Ms. Fontaine continued her work on Chancellor Sheppard. He had already been told that there was nothing she could do for Jerome Dalton, but he still wouldn't leave.  
"Bee in your bonnet, Wesley?"  
Wesley glanced up at Dr. Crowler who just sat down next to him.  
"What are you doing here?" Wesley asked.  
"Bastion told me what happened," Dr. Crowler said, putting his hands together. "I can't help but feel a little responsible because I pressured him so much. Because of his behavior, I actually threatened to have him expelled if he didn't straighten himself up. I never believed he would go this far."  
"Don't blame yourself, Doc," Wesley said. "I'm sure there are others here who had a hand in his downward spiral. However…I still can't get that woman out of my head. I know I've seen her before…but where?"

About an hour later…  
The woman had dragged the unconscious Ethan to…  
"The power generator complex," she said. "It was here that a certain Slifer student played a Shadow Game with a rather psychotic spirit. The spirit lost and was trapped here in a sort of limbo. However…"  
The woman dropped Ethan and held her hands out. She then started muttering a sort of incantation. Whatever she was trying seemed to be working as the power lines around the generator started to spark with a sort of red energy. This red electricity soon surged into the generator itself and the outline of a rather tall man slowly emerged.  
"I can feel it…" the spirit said. "Someone is trying to summon me…whoever you are, give me your soul!"  
"Relax," the woman said. "I'm not the one you want."  
"Ah, it's you. We haven't spoken in a long time."  
"It's been two years since I sent you on your little errand," the woman said. "I had assumed you had been vaporized by this point. I'm happy to see I was wrong."  
"Did you come here just to insult me?"  
"Actually, I have another job for you. And I know just what you need to get out of that state."  
And as though on cue, Ethan's eyes slowly opened.  
"Ooh, my head…"  
"Right on time," the woman said.  
Ethan looked up and saw the woman in red standing over him. He slowly backed away, but felt something spark on his arm. He turned around and saw the incomplete spirit form.  
"This is all you have to offer me?" the spirit said. "A weak soul who wears his little heart on his sleeve?!"  
"Not quite," the woman said, reaching into her dress and pulling out a card. "I have another one right here, by my heart. It's not as strong as the one who defeated you before, but it's certainly more resilient."  
Ethan stared at the card. His eyes widened horribly when he saw none other than Jerome Dalton pounding on it from the other side, as though it were a glass prison.  
"What the hell is this?!" Dalton yelled. "Let me outta here right now! Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!"  
"I see," the spirit said, rubbing his chin. "I'm sure with both souls, I can at least assume another temporary form."  
_So that's what happened to Dalton!_ Ethan thought. _I gotta get outta here and tell Wesley before…_"GACK!" Whatever Ethan was thinking couldn't be finished when the woman grabbed him by the throat and held her up.  
"You're not going anywhere," the woman said with venom in her voice.

Obelisk Blue Dorm. 11:45 p.m.  
"Look at all this voodoo stuff!" Weevil said.  
Weevil and Sara glanced around the lobby of the Obelisk Boys' dorm, which had two tables lined with books about dark magic as well as various voodoo and occult paraphernalia, including unmarked voodoo dolls, a book about spiritual omens, and an old Ouija board.  
"Looks like a postcard I sent my mother once," Sara said, causing Weevil to snap his neck her way.  
"…Where do you get a postcard that looks like this?!" Weevil asked, hysterically.  
"Wouldn't you like to know," Sara responded sharply.  
"I'm glad you two could make it."  
Weevil and Sara spun around to see three figures behind them wearing white hooded robes.  
"Relax," the one in the middle said, "it's only me." The figure in the middle took his hood off, revealing himself to be none other than Torrey Takadera.  
"I knew it was you," Weevil said.  
"…You liar," Sara said with a grimace.  
"Let me introduce you to our current crew," Torrey said as the others took off their hoods. The one on the left was much shorter than Torrey and had a boyish face. The one on the right was neither short nor tall and was rather portly. He had beady black eyes and wore thick glasses.  
"My name is Isaka," the short one said. "Right now I'm studying card design. Nice to meet you!"  
"I'm Mukuoda," the chubby boy said. "I'm also studying game design."  
"And as you know," Torrey said, "my name is Torrey." He then turned to the others. "Fellas, this is Weevil and Sara. They're interested in joining our club."  
"…There's no other girls?" Sara asked.  
"We felt girls in our club would be…uh…" Torrey stopped to scratch his head. "…distracting."  
Weevil couldn't help but smirk. _They're probably not cool enough to get girls. What nerds._ (A/N: Look who's talking)  
"So why do you wanna join?" Isaka asked.  
"I just came for information on Shadow Games," Weevil said. "I never said anything about actually joining."  
"Are you sure?" Torrey asked, reaching into his robe. "It's totally free, and each new member is issued…" He pulled out what appeared to be an evil cat puppet. "…their own Beelzenev doll."  
The entire room went silent and Weevil and Sara sweatdropped.  
"Wrong show, man," Mukuoda whispered.  
"Oh. My bad." Torrey quickly stuffed the cat puppet back in his robe.  
"Now I'm really sure I don't want to join," Weevil said.  
"Yeah," Sara said, scratching her head. "That was messed up."  
"All right, all right, fine," Torrey said. "I've looked up some more stuff about Shadow Games, articles, websites, whatever. I've printed it all out and I'll give it to you by the end of the meeting. All I ask is that you at least join us for a spirit calling."  
"A spirit calling?" Weevil looked confused.  
"We already have everything set up," Torrey said. "All we need is a card to focus on so we can communicate with the spirits."  
Weevil thought for a minute, then took out his deck. He searched through it for a minute and took out his Prickle Fairy. "How about this one?"  
Torrey took the card from Weevil's hand and looked at it carefully. His eyes widened and his mouth opened for a second, but didn't say anything. "Well, this'll certainly be easier to summon than…than certain higher level monsters."  
Sara looked at Weevil, who narrowed his eyes. He knew Torrey was talking about Jinzo. Torrey, however, put the card on the table in front of the Ouija board and a candelabra. He then lit all the candles while Mukuoda turned the lights off.  
"All right," Torrey said. "Everyone gather around the table and join hands…"  
"Hey, whoa!" Weevil suddenly backed away from the group. "I don't know what kind of fairytale you guys are writing, but I know what side of the field I play on. I mean, I'm not that way! I mean, it's not a problem what way you are, but…"  
"Oh, just do it for tonight," Sara said, hastily grabbing Weevil's right hand. Weevil stared at her and noticed she was blushing a bit. "And by the way, don't get any ideas, termite."  
"Whatever, tanuki," Weevil grumbled as he took Isaka's hand.  
"Everyone repeat after me," Torrey said. "Protector of insects, mistress of thorns, Prickle Fairy come from the realm of yore!" (A/N: I came up with that chant on the spot)  
Everyone repeated the chant; Weevil, with a bit less enthusiasm, and Sara, with a bit less _anything_.  
"Protector of insects, mistress of thorns, Prickle Fairy come from the realm of yore! Protector of insects, mistress of thorns, Prickle Fairy come from the realm of…"  
And suddenly, the candles went out. The entire room went silent for a minute and a half.  
"…So…did it work?" Sara asked.  
"Oh, it worked all right."  
A pair of red eyes lit up in front of the table, dimly illuminating the body structure of a tall man in tight green leather. At that exact same time, Torrey's face went completely white. "J…J…Ji…"  
"Hello boys."  
"And then Weevil ran," Weevil said.

* * *

Duo-san: The Obelisk Blue dorm is under attack and the séance club is helpless! But what's this? A hero steps up to take on this monster? And it's...not who you'd expect.

Jinzo: And just who might you be?

Weevil: Did you have to throw in that crappy Ouran reference?

Duo-san: The next chapter is called **Jinzo VS...** And just so you guys know, I have nothing against Ouran High School Host Club. I just couldn't resist. The séance club is so much like the Dark Magic Club.


	46. Jinzo VS ?

I apologize for how short this one is. Once again, I'm trying hard to get my graduation portfolio done as quick as possible. Plus, I've decided to devote my attention to some other fics I've got in the works. Also, I will not use single space format from here on. That just makes them even shorter.

* * *

Chapter 46 – Jinzo VS…

Weevil and the others went running through the door while Torrey actually went crashing through a window. Torrey desperately crawled away from the Obelisk Blue dorms while Jinzo stepped outside. His eyes glowed red like Death itself.

"What's the matter, boy?" Jinzo asked angrily. "Did you not miss me?"

Torrey didn't even answer. The look of petrified fear on his face seemed to be enough of a reply. He got on his feet and ran as fast as he could into the woods with the others.

"You can't run away from me forever!" Jinzo shouted when a sudden idea struck him. He then started laughing. "Actually, go ahead and run. It'll be much easier for me to take the souls of every person inside this building with as little interference as possible."

Jinzo stepped back inside and shut the door behind him. "The only thing I can't decide is who I should kill first." After a few steps, however, he stopped and stared up at someone at the top of the stairs.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to proceed."

Jinzo was not amused. "And just who might you be?"

Dr. Vellian Crowler stood at the top of the stairs, wearing his duel coat over his flowery pink nightgown and matching nightcap.

"I am a teacher!"

Not exactly intimidating.

Weevil and the Obelisks were hiding in the bushes while Jinzo continued his onslaught. Torrey was scared out of his wits.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Torrey said, tugging on his hair. "Dalton was right. This club was doomed to fail!"

"Don't say that," Mukuoda said. "This wasn't your fault. You weren't even trying to summon Jinzo this time."

"Everybody in the dorm is gonna die and it's all my fault!" Torrey looked like he was going to cry.

"How did you stop him last time?" Weevil asked.

"I didn't," Torrey said. "Jaden beat him in a duel."

_Jaden again?_ Weevil thought to himself. "And where's Jaden _now_?!"

Jaden was already fast asleep in his dorm blissfully unaware of what was happening outside and dreaming about his next duel.

"Not so fast! This duel is serious business!"

"It cannot be helped," Sara said. "If you're just going to sit here whimpering and let them die, then I will take back the Obelisk Dorms myself."

"Well, good luck with that," Weevil said, turning around. "I'm gonna head back to Slifer Red where I know I'm safe."

"And you're coming with me," Sara said, dragging Weevil by the collar once again.

"No!" Weevil cried, flailing like a big baby. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna lose my soul! I…"

"I won't let you die," Sara said, causing Weevil to stop his temper tantrum. "I won't lose anyone else."

Weevil turned his head around and looked up at Sara. It seemed she was in a position similar to his…

Back inside…

"AAAAARGH!"

Crowler fell back as his Life Points fell to zero while Jinzo overshadowed him completely.

"You had the gall to come and challenge me, knowing what would happen, and I commend you for that," Jinzo said, opening his hand, "but you're far too weak. Your soul won't even sustain me even for two hours."

A white aura emanated from Crowler and Jinzo siphoned it into his hand. After that, Dr. Crowler's body fell completely limp. There was no life left in his eyes.

"One down," Jinzo said, proceeding toward the stairs, "many more to go…"

"STOP!"

Jinzo turned around and saw Weevil and Sara by the front doors. Sara looked completely calm while Weevil's knees were shaking like jelly.

"And now they send children after me?" Jinzo said, irritably. "Stop wasting my time!" Jinzo shot a red laser from his eyes which Weevil barely dodged.

"No one sent us," Sara said. "We came of our own will."

_Speak for yourself,_ Weevil thought.

"If you want to die so badly, then I'll be happy to oblige!" Jinzo shot another red laser from his eyes which Sara deflected with her Duel Disk.

"Is our headmaster not enough for you?" Sara asked in her cold tone. "Why don't you try dueling us both?"

Suddenly, Weevil didn't feel so scared anymore. "Yeah. I doubt you can beat two duelists at once!"

"H-Heh heh heh heh heh …Two souls in one duel?" Jinzo asked, smiling behind his mask. "Why not? But let's make this a little more interesting." Jinzo held up a small golden eyepatch with an eye mark.

"A Shadow Charm?!" Weevil asked, shocked.

"Yes," Jinzo said. "With the power of this Charm, I have obtained physical form in this world. But with your souls added to my collection, my body will become flesh without the use of this…thing."

"Collection?" Weevil blinked.

"Oh yes. I have already obtained two souls from a dear friend of mine, plus the recent addition of your precious teacher. I believe you know them…a Jerome Dalton and an Ethan Pisces?"

"Dalton?!" Sara's eyes widened horribly. _So that's what happened to him…_

"Fish guy?!" Weevil's eyes widened just as much.

"And it just so happens I have two more blank cards," Jinzo said, holding them up in his other hand. "I shall keep your souls in these cards for later. Do you still want to continue?"

"Only on one condition," Sara said. "You have to let those souls go back to their bodies."

"Very well," Jinzo said, "but only because I know I won't lose. And of course, since we're playing a Shadow Game, a Penalty Game awaits the loser."

Sara glanced over at Weevil as she activated her Duel Disk. "You'd better not slow me down."

"I was gonna say the same thing," Weevil grumbled as he also activated his disk.

"DUEL!"

* * *

Duo-san: Sorry. No flashy preview this time, but I can give you a little tidbit: In the course of this duel, we finally get to see Sara's weird card. The question is, "What does it do?"


	47. The Masked Spirit of Sand

Okay, I think I owe you guys an explanation. I wanted to get this finished sooner, but I kept getting distracted. I couldn't help but read my older works over and over and think to myself "Look how far I've gotten." Also, I just realized that in chapter 39, when Wesley plays Fairy Meteor Crush on Majestic Mech Goryu, it wasn't needed! Because Goryu already had that effect right off the bat. Oh well. Makes things more dramatic, I guess.

* * *

Chapter 47 – The Masked Spirit of Sand

"So how are we doing this?" Weevil asked.

"It's quite simple," Sara said. "We will share a pool of 8000 Life Points."

"Because of that," Jinzo added, "I, too, will have 8000 Life Points. And now, I think it's time we get started."

"DUEL!"

Both sides' Life Points were set to 8000 and both Sara and Weevil drew five cards. Jinzo, however, had giant holographic cards floating in front of him.

"Since I'm obviously outnumbered," Jinzo said, "I'm going first. I play Cyber Esper (1200/1800) in Attack Mode!" Jinzo's first monster was an armored humanoid creature with insect-like features as well as three bladed wings on each shoulder. "Now, as long as my Esper is on the field, I can look at each card you two draw, whether it's by Draw Phase or effect. Also, I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

Weevil and Sara looked at each other, then engaged in a quick round of Rock-Paper-Scissors, which Sara won (paper beats rock). Sara drew her first card, which was Giant Axe Mummy. "I'll set a monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."

"Can't believe I have to go last," Weevil grumbled as he drew. His card was Skull-Mark Ladybug. "Heh heh. Your Esper may see what cards we draw, but not the ones we start with! I summon Girochin Kuwagata (1700/1000) in Attack Mode!" Weevil's beetle monster emerged onto the field, but disappeared immediately afterwards. "WHAT?!"

"H-Heh heh heh…" Jinzo chuckled. His face down card had been raised. "Right into my trap, right off the bat. Bottomless Trap Hole! This card removes one monster with 1500 Attack points or more from play."

Weevil could feel Sara's glare on the side of his head. "I'll set two cards face down and end my turn."

"And it's my turn!" Jinzo drew his next card. "I'll play Element Doom (1500/1200) in Attack Mode!" Jinzo's monster was a rather impish looking devil with black wings and its tail wrapped around its left leg.

Weevil's eyebrows knit together. _Crap. I hate these Element monsters. Which one does which again?_

"Element Doom, attack the girl's face down monster!" Element Doom shrieked as it spread its wings and flew straight at the card. However, it was stopped short, however, when it crashed into a giant hand made of sand. The rest of it revealed itself to be a sort of golem made of sand with spikes on its back.

"This," Sara explained, "is Sand Moth (1000/2000)."

"Doesn't look like any moth I've seen," Weevil piped up.

"Hush."

Jinzo growled as his Life Points fell to 7500. "I'm far from done. Cyber Esper (1200), attack the boy directly! Sharp Blade Wings!"

Cyber Esper spread its wings and flew at Weevil at incredible speed. Weevil stumbled back as the pool of Life Points fell to 6800.

"Weevil! Your legs!"

Weevil was confused by Sara's shout until he saw his legs. He was horrified when he saw he was blurry and static-y from the knees down.

"Don't act so surprised," Jinzo said. "After all, you've seen what happens during a Shadow Game. Since you lost Life Points, I'm taking your life force!"

"Calm down, Weevil," Sara said, trying to settle the shaken Weevil, "and don't panic."

"Oh, I'm gonna panic!" Weevil said anxiously as he got back to his feet. "I could feel his Esper's blades slicing on me. That pain was real!"

"…You're more worried about that then fading into static?"

"Next I'll set a card face down," Jinzo said. "Then I'll play the spell, Ectoplasmer."

Weevil's eyes widened in shock. "Aw man, not that one!"

"So I take it you know," Jinzo continued, "that during each of your end phases, you must sacrifice a face-up monster on your side of the field in order to do damage to me. Half their attack points, to be exact. And with that, I'll send my Cyber Esper to the graveyard to attack your Life Points!"

Cyber Esper collapsed on the ground while its ghostly form attacked Sara and Weevil, dropping their Life Points to 6300. At that same time, Sara's right leg started to fade away.

"It's your turn, little girl."

Sara drew her next card without a word. _Without Cyber Esper, he can't see the cards we draw. Plus, there's two of us so if we summon more monsters, we can use his Ectoplasmer card to chip away his Life Points quickly. But…why is he so calm?_

"You'd better not screw up!" Weevil shouted.

"You're the one who screwed up last turn," Sara said. "I activate the Field Spell, Wasteland."

The surrounding Obelisk Blue Dorm disappeared and the barren dry land surfaced beneath their feet.

"I'm sure that you know," Sara continued, "that my Wasteland grants all Dinosaur, Rock, and Zombie type monsters a 200 point boost."

And just as she said, Sand Moth's points rose to 1200/2200.

"I'll also play Regenerating Mummy (1800/1500 – 2000/1700) in Attack Mode." Sara's mummy monster shuffled onto the field. "Regenerating Mummy, attack Element Doom now!" The mummy slowly shuffled over to Element Doom and mashed it with a swing of its arm. Jinzo's Life Points fell to 7100. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch.

"It matters little," Jinzo said, raising a face down card, "because I have a trap, Attack and Receive! Since I've taken damage to my Life Points, you lose 700 Life Points."

Sara's other leg started to fade as well. Despite this, she didn't seem bothered by it one bit. (LP: 5600)

"I'll keep my Moth in Defense Mode," Sara continued, "then I'll place a card face down. After that, I'll sacrifice my Giant Axe Mummy to attack your Life Points."

Jinzo's Ectoplasmer flickered and Giant Axe Mummy shot out a ghastly green light from its mouth, blasting Jinzo's Life Points to 6100.

"Was that supposed to scare me?" Jinzo asked, smiling behind that mask.

"No," Weevil answered while drawing his card. "This is!" _I can't summon any higher level monsters while that Ectoplasmer is on the field. And that means my Great Moth and Insect Queen are right out. I have to get rid of it!_ "Now I'll summon Howling Insect (1200/1300) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil's next monster was a large blue cricket-like monster.

"Screech, Howling Insect! Attack Jinzo's Life Points!" Howling Insect's wings opened and let loose a sonic blast, causing Jinzo to clutch onto his head in pain (LP: 4900).

"And it doesn't stop there!" Weevil continued with his familiar sneer. "I'll also play the Spell card, Insect Barrier!"

"A spell card that prevents attacks from insects," Jinzo said. "Too bad I don't have any."

"You will soon!" Weevil raised a face down card. "I activate DNA Surgery! This turns all monsters on the field into Insects!"

However, the only monster on the field was Sara's Sand Moth, which had sprouted grotesque insect wings and legs from its back. Sara once again glared at Weevil, as Sand Moth now lost its field power boost (1000/2000).

"What?" Weevil asked. "We're winning. Don't look at me like that! And speaking of which, I now activate Ectoplasmer! Sacrifice my Howling Insect!"

Weevil's Howling Insect turned into a ghastly green light and shot at Jinzo, who was pushed back by the blast (LP: 4300).

_Well, at least it explains why he didn't stop Cyber Esper's attack before,_ Sara thought._ You can't stop anything with DNA Surgery. So what's his other card?_

"It's my draw," Jinzo said. "H-Heh heh heh. And I couldn't have asked for a better one. First, I'll play Malice Doll of Demise (1600/1700) in Attack Mode!"

Jinzo's next monster was a marionette in overalls with razor-edged claws and an axe as almost as big as its body. As soon as it materialized, it sprouted feelers from its head and its left arm turned into insect claws.

"Then I activate the Spell, Soul Exchange! Now I can summon a high level monster by sacrificing your Sand Moth!"

Sand Moth dissolved right before Sara's eyes. _What is he going to summon?_

"And what better to summon than…H-Heh heh heh heh…Jinzo (2400/1500)!"

Jinzo kept laughing as he stepped out onto the field, next to Malice Doll of Demise.

"Big deal," Weevil said confidently. "No matter what you monsters you send out, they'll all be turned into insects! And in case you've forgotten, insects can't get past my Barrier!"

"Weevil," Sara said with a hint of irritation, "Jinzo can detect and disable any trap cards we have out!" It was this comment that caused Weevil to turn white as rice.

_I forgot!_

"Which makes your Insect Barrier very much useless!" Jinzo's eyes glowed bright red and shot a laser at Weevil's DNA Surgery, disintegrating it completely. Malice Doll of Demise's insect parts then rotted off.

Sara's eyes widened horribly while Weevil was suddenly sweating like a pig.

"Attack, Malice Doll of Demise! Cleaver Clash!" Malice Doll of Demise wound up and staggered a bit to carry the heavy axe. It then jumped into the air, slashing the axe down on Weevil, causing him to scream and stagger back in pain (LP: 4000).

"And now it's my turn." Jinzo charged a sort of black energy ball in his hands and launched it at Weevil and Sara. "Psycho Energy Shock!"

The ball exploded on contact and raised up a lot of smoke. By the time it cleared, the static that was eating the poor kids was nearly up to their shoulders (LP: 1600).

"But I'm not done yet," Jinzo continued. "Activate Ectoplasmer and tribute my Malice Doll of Demise!"

Malice Doll of Demise fell limp and turned into a ghastly green energy to blast Weevil and Sara again, sending them falling on their backs. The static was now up to their necks (LP: 800).

"H-Ha ha ha ha! Give up!" Jinzo taunted. "With all that pain dealt to you in this one turn, you can't even stand. But maybe I'll be generous and let one of you live."

"You cannot understand…"

"What?"

Jinzo was shocked to see Sara struggling to get up. And Weevil, just as much.

"You cannot understand," Sara said, clutching her heart, "what real pain feels like. The pain of losing the ones dearest to you…I cannot imagine anything worse."

Weevil's eyes widened. _The ones dearest to her? Is she…?_

"I will show you what real pain feels like." The dust from the Wasteland Spell swirled violently around Sara's feet. "Weevil, get on your feet before I pull you up myself."

"All right, all right." Weevil pushed himself off the ground. His breathing seemed a little ragged. "You'd better have a plan. I'm running out of options."

"Leave it to me." Sara drew her next card. _It's time I put __that__ card into play._ "I play the Quick-Play spell, Hand Destruction. Each of us will send two cards from our hand to the Graveyard, then draw two more cards from our deck."

_I can't summon that monster anyway,_ Weevil thought, throwing away his Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth.

_Excellent. I've drawn the Jinzo – Lord card,_ Jinzo thought. _I'll summon this next turn along with my Malice Doll and crush them horribly._

_Everything is now in place,_ Sara thought before raising one of her face down cards. "I activate the Spell, Monster Reborn…"

Weevil grinned widely. _Yes! She's going to summon my Moth from the graveyard…_

"…and summon Shukaku: Desert Incarnate (2800/2000)!"

_WHAT?!_

The ground beneath the duelists started cracking and crumbling and a giant arm made of sand burst out of the ground, causing Weevil to fall back again. Following the arm was the main body: a colossal raccoon-looking beast made entirely of sand with exceptionally sharp-looking teeth and glaring yellow eyes. Its long tail swished slowly, spreading sand everywhere as it let out a horrible bellowing roar. Its point values were also bolstered by the Wasteland field (3000/2200).

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Jinzo screamed.

"I'm disappointed, if that's all you could do," Sara said calmly. "We haven't had enough carnage. Sand Coffin!"

Shukaku: Desert Incarnate grabbed Jinzo in its mighty hand and slammed him against the wall (LP: 3700). Jinzo struggled to stay on his feet.

"Now, Shukaku's ability activates," Sara said. "Whenever it destroys a monster, direct damage is dealt equal to that monster's Defense Points."

Shukaku took a deep breath and let loose a deluge of sand from its mouth, covering the entire field in a makeshift desert (LP: 2200).

"Next, I will activate your Ectoplasmer and send Shukaku back to the Graveyard."

Shukaku fell over and dissolved into sand and a glowing green orb took its place, bolting straight at Jinzo and blasting his Life Points again (LP: 800).

"Weevil," Sara said, breathing heavily, "I'm gonna sit down for a bit."

"Huh?!" Weevil was astonished that she could say something like that. "Why are you resting?! This duel's not over!"

"I know," Sara said. "It's your turn. Don't screw up or you will be sorry."

Weevil narrowed his eyes at her as he drew his card. She had some gall. "This should do it. I summon Flying Kamakiri #2 (1500/800) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil's mantis monster appeared on the field.

"Kamakiri, end this duel! Kama Cutter!"

Flying Kamakiri flew at Jinzo and raised its scythe-like arm, chopping Jinzo right down the middle, dropping Jinzo's Life Points to zero. Jinzo screamed into the night as the Shadow Charm Eyepatch clinked on the ground.

* * *

Rex: I have GOT to get me one of those Shukaku cards!  
Weevil: And where were _you?  
_Rex: I was sleeping. Why?  
Weevil: ...  
Rex: What? Did I miss something?  
Duo-san: Next chapter - Waking Up is Hard to Do  
Sara: So what exactly does my card do?

* * *

**Name: **Shukaku: Desert Incarnate  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Type: **Rock  
**Level: **7  
**ATK/DEF: **2800/2000  
**Lore: **This card can be normal summoned with one sacrifice. By doing so, you must pay half your Life Points. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the DEF of the destroyed monster. If this monster is in the Graveyard by any means, you can pay 100 Life Points to negate a direct attack to your Life Points.

I originally wanted this to be a trap card, but Jinzo would've just disabled it right off the bat. Also, I'm open for fanart of this card (as long as you give me credit) because there's no way I'll be able to draw this thing accurately.


	48. Waking Up is Hard to Do

Sorry I'm so late. I've got a little writer's block. I know exactly what I'm going to do next, but I'm not entirely sure how to type it out. Does that ever happen to you?

To my faithful reviewers, I'm glad you guys like my Shukaku card. It took me ages to figure out what kind of special ability it should have. Oh, and to WardMonkeyXVIII, what's a Nomi card?

* * *

Chapter 48 – Waking Up is Hard to Do

Weevil fell on his butt and his glasses slipped after the holograms disappeared. His and Sara's bodies had turned back to normal after the duel. He couldn't believe the horrific ordeal was over. He didn't even have any strength to gloat. But he would tomorrow. Oh yes he would.

Sara, however, had fallen on her side and appeared to be unconscious. But before Weevil could go check on her, Jinzo started freaking out and his body started sparking angrily. He reached desperately for the Shadow Charm, but Weevil managed to yank it away first.

_This is gonna be so cool._

Jinzo curled up and cringed as its body began to crack and red light began to pour out. Jinzo's body slowly disintegrated into red light and faded into nothingness. "THIS IS NOT OVERRRRR…"

After Jinzo's vanishment, Weevil simply stared at the empty space before him before slowly turning to Sara, who still hadn't moved a muscle. He crawled over to her and moved her so that she lay on her back.

_She doesn't look like she's breathing_, Weevil thought. _I think…I have to…_ Weevil stopped. He quickly looked around cautiously. _How do I do CPR again? Oh man, there's no time to wait!_

Weevil took a deep breath and lowered himself to her. He could feel his heart pounding harder and harder as he stared at her lips. They looked surprisingly soft. He was just an inch or so away, when Sara's eyes shot wide open, causing him to freeze in place. A few moments of silence passed, and Weevil's face was starting to turn blue…

SMACK!

Back outside…

Torrey and the others watched the Obelisk Blue Dorm cautiously from behind the bushes. They hadn't heard a thing for a few minutes and were completely unaware that the duel had ended.

"I think it's over," Mukuoda said.

"Are you sure?" Torrey asked.

"Yah. It's quiet."

"You don't think Jinzo won," Isaka said, a little worried, "do you?"

Torrey pushed up his glasses. "I think we need to take a closer look."

Torrey crawled out of the bushes and crept slowly towards the Blue Dorm. He stopped when he noticed the others weren't following him.

"What are you guys doing?!"

Torrey turned around and his eyes widened horribly. The woman in red had returned and had her long fingers wrapped around Mukuoda and Isaka's necks. The boys, needless to say, were completely petrified.

"Guys!"

"Come with me," the woman said, "unless you want them to suffer."

...

"You know that was uncalled for," Weevil said, rubbing a red handprint on his cheek where Sara slapped him.

"I did not require your 'resuscitation'," Sara said with a huff.

"Then why'd you pass out?!" Weevil nearly yelled.

"You were right about the pain," Sara said, closing her eyes. "I was unprepared for how much it could take out of me."

Weevil raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Let's go." Sara got up on her feet. "We should find the Séance Club members."

"All right." Weevil stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her out, but not before doubling back to pick up his Prickle Fairy card from the makeshift "altar." At that same time, Dr. Crowler got up and shook his head. He had a bit of difficulty getting up, since he was still wearing his Duel Coat.

"That tears it," Dr. Crowler said. "No more Shadow Games for me."

"By the way," Weevil started as they headed toward the bushes, "what did you mean when you were talking about 'losing the ones dearest to you'?"

Sara stopped and looked back at Weevil. There was no familiar angry glare, nor any "Homecoming Dance" warmth, but Weevil thought he saw a slight bit of sadness.

"That information is classified. That is all."

Weevil had to duck back a bit to avoid getting hit in the face by Sara's pigtail. He decided that now was not the best time. But he would so bug her for answers later. Upon reaching the bushes, Weevil and Sara both realized that something was…amiss.

"…Where are the Séance Club guys?" Weevil asked.

The Hospital Room. 8:30 A.M., the following morning…

Wesley Reddings ran as fast as he could while struggling to get his white blazer on. He had received a message from Ms. Fontaine a few minutes earlier (rudely waking him from a nice dream) that it was "urgent."

Wesley soon arrived in the room where Dalton was and saw a grave expression on Ms. Fontaine's face.

"…What's wrong?" Wesley asked.

"It's Jerome," Fontaine said. "He's…he's…" She quickly shut her eyes and bit her lip.

Wesley's eyes widened horribly behind his sunglasses. He walked past her to Dalton's bed. His blazer was unzipped, showing his muscular chest for all to see. He appeared completely motionless…almost lifeless. Wesley's arms seemed to tremble.

"This…is my fault. It's all my fault."

WHAM!

From seemingly out of nowhere, Dalton sent a fast uppercut smashing right into Wesley's chin, knocking him to the ground. Dalton swung himself off the bed and zipped up his coat.

"Friggin' right it's your fault," Dalton said, cracking his knuckles. "I can't believe you actually did that to me! But you know what? I'm gonna grind you into dog meat with my bare hands!"

"Do what you will." Wesley took off his sunglasses, revealing his hazel colored eyes. "I had no idea of the consequences of a Shadow Game. I deserve whatever pounding you've got planned for me."

"Boys," Ms. Fontaine chimed in, "I'm afraid I can't allow fighting on school campus."

"Aw, come on!" Dalton nearly barked. "This pompous jerk's had it coming since before I arrived at this school!"

"You misunderstand," Ms. Fontaine interrupted. "I'll turn a blind eye to this as long as you do it outside. I don't need any of my _expensive_ equipment broken."

Wesley got to his feet and put his sunglasses back on. "Fine." He then headed out of the room with Dalton following closely behind.

"So what was it like?" Wesley asked. "When your soul left your body?"

Dalton had to think hard about that one. "I only remember some parts. When I was sinking in the ocean, I felt this sudden shock. Next thing I know, I've been turned into a Duel Monsters card. I felt another shock and then…I'm back here." He stopped to scratch his head. "It was friggin' weird."

"What about that woman?"

"In the red dress? I don't know about her either…but if I ever see her again, I'm gonna serve her a heaping helping of knuckle sandwich! I don't care how hot she is! Thing is, I don't know where she is or even who she is!"

"Actually…I think I might know who she is."

Power generator complex. Around the same time…

Ethan Pisces stared straight ahead at the generator with a blank look on his face. He had woken up just a minute ago.

"Uh…what happened?" Ethan scratched his head. "Where's that lady? And…why am I still out here? I thought those Slifer guys would at least pick me up, considering how close this place is to their dorm."

He then stopped to look at his wristwatch and his eyes popped wide open.

"OH CRAP! I'm gonna be late for class!"

Ethan got to his feet and staggered a bit before running straight towards the school. He didn't realize, however, that there were no classes on the weekend. Then again, he didn't know that today was a Saturday. Poor guy.

Back in the Hospital Room…

"Well, Chancellor," Ms. Fontaine said, while looking over a clipboard, "according to this, your wounds have finally closed up. You're completely healed."

"That's good to hear," Sheppard said, sitting on the edge of his bed. "The question is, am I able to walk?"

Ms. Fontaine scratched her chin. "I…don't see why not. It's not like you got your ankles slashed. But just to be safe, I suggest you at least walk with a cane for a while."

"A cane…" Sheppard let out a deep sigh. "I'm getting too old for this, Fontaine."

"No…"

"I really am getting old."

"No!"

"The student body is starting to panic, everyone is running in blind fear and we don't even know why or what this 'woman in red' wants! We're completely unprepared!" Sheppard let out a heavy sigh. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I doubt the faculty, the students, heck, I don't think even Jaden can handle this one on his own."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Sheppard scratched his chin. "First of all, I'll need to organize an event to raise student morale. Let the students know there is nothing to worry about."

"And what next?" Fontaine asked.

Sheppard tugged on his beard for a second. "I'm going to have to call in a few experts to deal with this problem. I just hope we can find them."

* * *

Duo-san: Yes! It's action time! And I've already decided who these experts will be.

Weevil: I'll betcha thousand yen that it's Yugi.

Rex: I'll bet _two_ thousand it's Kaiba!

Jaden: What's this event all about anyway?

Duo-san: You'll see...if I ever get this next one done.


	49. A Special Announcement

To my new readers, welcome. To the people who bothered to read the first 48 chapters, welcome back. I know I haven't updated this in a long time, but that's because I keep getting sidetracked by reading other fics and...everyday life.

Once again, thank you for your patience. Here is your reward.

* * *

Chapter 49 – A Special Announcement

Two days later…

"What do you mean 'No'?!"

"I have a company to run, Sheppard, and therefore I have no time for a wild ghost chase."

"But, sir…"

"I'm very certain that your students and staff can take care of themselves. After all, if they can't even duel, then they shouldn't even be on the island. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to take care of. Next time, call me for something important."

"…Very well."

The screen flickered off. Once again, Sheppard was back in his office, staring at the blank screen of his videophone.

"This is unbelievable," Sheppard said with his hands on his head. "I can't believe even _he_ won't help. I suppose I'll have to fall back on Plan B."

It was then that Sheppard's door opened.

"Ah, boys. You made it. Please have a seat and I'll explain the details."

Outside, at an open field…

Today, the Obelisks and Ras had an integrated gym class with Ms. Fontaine. It was cold and the grass was wet with morning dew. Most of the students hadn't quite fully woken up yet (Syrus and Mokuba, in fact, had already fallen asleep twice), but Ms. Fontaine felt sure she would fix that…with a mighty blow from her whistle. The resounding "TWEEEEEEET!!!" seemingly echoed around the island as most of the students immediately perked up. Even a few who weren't in gym class.

"Good," Ms. Fontaine said with a bright smile. "I'm glad you could stay awake. Now, in light of recent events, we're stepping things up a bit. Just because you're training to become great duelists, doesn't mean you shouldn't train your bodies as well. From what I heard, a duelist could be challenged to a Shadow Game out of nowhere. The shock from a normal duel is harsh enough, but a Shadow Duel is much, much worse. So, what did I bring you all out here for?"

The students glanced at each other as though asking each other for an answer.

"We're going to exercise our bodies with a good game of soccer!"

An eerie silence fell over the field which was soon replaced by some negative murmurings by the students.

"How can she expect us to play at a time like this?" Mokuba whispered.

"Yeah," Syrus agreed, "especially since it's freezing out here."

"You two are such wusses," Missy said. "If I can handle this weather no problem, this should be easy for either of you."

"Is that why your knees are shaking?" Alexis said smugly.

"No one asked you, Rhodes!"

"Could someone explain why we're arguing again?" Ichigo asked quietly.

Another loud "TWEEEEEEET!!!" seemed to calm down the brewing arguments between the students.

"Of course, soccer is a _team_ sport," Ms. Fontaine added hastily, "and there's no room for tension between teammates in a good team. Which is why, for today's game, I'll be pitting the Ra students against the Obelisk students."

"An excellent suggestion," Bastion said. "Despite our dueling skills and rank as students, physical fitness is a completely different subject."

"Correct as always," Fontaine said with a wink. "Now, all Obelisk students take the left side of the field. All Ras take the right!"

_Yay! I'm on Mokuba's team!_ Ichigo happily thought as she followed the other Ras to the right side of the field.

While the other Obelisks headed to the other side, Syrus stood completely stiff after receiving a look from Missy that seemed to say "I'm gonna eat you for lunch" as she tied back her hair. He snapped out of his reverie when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh. Hey Dalton," Syrus said blankly.

"Quit being such a wuss," Dalton said. "And hurry up. We've already decided on your position."

"…Really?"

A minute later…

"I'M THE GOALIE?!" Syrus yelled from the goalpost.

"Don't worry about a thing, runt!" Dalton shouted. "It's the safest position in the game!" Despite that, Dalton couldn't help but snicker.

"Why did you have to lie to him?" Ethan asked. "Every Ra on the field will be careening towards that net."

"I know."

Ethan shook his head and tucked his bangs back behind his ear. "Oh well." _Whatever happens to Syrus, it's not my problem. My main goal is to impress the socks off of Ichigo in this game! WHY COULDN'T I BE ON HER TEAM?!_

"Goalie…safest position…" Syrus whimpered. "Yeah, right."

"Don't worry, Sy," Alexis spoke up. "I've got your back."

Sy looked up and saw Alexis already heading out to take her position on the field. He suddenly felt a rising sense of hope. Perhaps this game wouldn't be so bad after all. That was when Fontaine's whistle sounded again.

"Everyone take your positions!"

Thirty minutes into the game…

Thus far, the game had been one surprise after another. Syrus, being his usual scared self, had let in three goals and stopped only one by sheer accident. This, perhaps, was motivation for the other Obelisks to work harder. Because of this, the score was currently tied at 4-4. At this point, there was some commotion taking place on the Ras' side of the field. Syrus had to squint to see what was going on. He shuddered when he saw many of the students heading straight for his goal post. To make matters worse, Missy was at the front. And to make matters even _more_ worse, she had the ball.

The only salvation that Syrus seemed to have was that Jerome Dalton was at the perfect position to sweep kick the ball away from Missy. Or at least he would've been had he not "accidentally" tripped over his own feet and let her pass him by.

"Whoops!" _Grind him up, Missy!_

Syrus clenched his teeth in terror as Missy came charging at him like a mad bull. As she swung her leg back, Syrus stretched his arms out in front of him, hoping against hope nothing would be damaged too badly. Before anyone knew what was going on, Missy fiercely kicked the ball straight towards poor Syrus' face…

…

The entire field fell eerily silent.

Syrus was still waiting for the pain that would come from that ball. He slowly opened his eyes. Somehow, by some twisted miracle, the ball was actually lodged safely in his hands, although his palms stung like crazy. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and judging by the "WTF" looks on Dalton and Missy's faces, they couldn't believe it either. Once again, the entire field was silent.

"Throw the ball, Sy!" Alexis shouted.

Or not.

"Oh! Right!" In a sudden surge of excitement, Syrus threw the ball and accidentally pegged Missy right in the face. And just like Jaden before, she made an impressive arc before falling on her back.

"S-Sorry!"

Fifteen minutes after gym class…

Her eyebrow twitched furiously. Missy kept unwillingly still as Ms. Fontaine wrapped another bandage around her face. Apparently, Syrus had thrown the ball so hard he accidentally broke her nose. Ichigo, who volunteered to go with her to the nurse's office, stayed close to the door. The "dead meat" aura emanating from Missy was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

"Ch-Cheer up, Missy," Ichigo said sheepishly. "At least we won!"

"Shut up."

"Got it."

"All right," Ms. Fontaine said standing up. "That should do it. Your nose will heal up in about two weeks. Until then you are not to take the bandages off _at all._"

Missy clenched her fists tightly as she stood straight up like an arrow. "Y-Yes, Ms. Fontaine."

Missy walked out of the nurse's office in a rather stiff manner while Ichigo decided to keep her distance.

"Well, it could've been worse," Ichigo said. "But who would've guessed Syrus of all people would have an arm like that? Good thing we weren't playing basketball."

"SHUT UP!" Missy's shout echoed through the empty hall, prompting Ichigo's immediate silence. "Oh, and about what you said about giving that little rat a chance? You can forget it. I'll be perfectly happy if I never and I mean _never_ see his face again!"

"Uh…right…I understand."

Missy pulled out a compact mirror from her pocket and looked at her face. "Ohhhh, my beautiful face is ruined."

"I-It's just for a couple of weeks," Ichigo said, still trying to cheer her up.

"A couple of weeks?!" Missy grabbed Ichigo by the collar. "Ichi, it only takes a day for someone's reputation to go completely down the drain! What'll all those boys think? WHAT'LL ZANE THINK?!"

"Get a grip," Ichigo nearly shouted. "It's not like he's actually here!"

"May I have your attention please?"

Missy and Ichigo directed their attention to the PA, which was now booming with Chancellor Sheppard's voice.

"All students and Duel Academy faculty please report to the Academy Main Hall immediately for a special announcement."

Missy let go of Ichigo's collar as Sheppard repeated his announcement. "We'll talk about this later." Before Missy could continue moving, she was suddenly confronted by (you guessed it) Syrus, who was bent over and totally out of breath.

"M-Missy," Syrus wheezed out, "I want to…apologize for…"

"Can it, shrimp," Missy said, pushing him into the wall. "I have an announcement to get to."

As Missy and Ichigo walked off, Syrus simply stood still and stared at the floor, letting out a heavy sigh. _What am I gonna do?_

Eventually, the main hall was majorly stuffed with Duel Academy students. All the faculty members were up on stage sitting behind Chancellor Sheppard.

"Hey Alexis!"

Alexis, who was closer to the front, turned around to see Jaden heading her way.

"You got any idea what this is about?" Jaden asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alexis said.

"There you are, Jaden!" Blair practically sang as she grabbed Jaden's arm and started to drag him away, much to Jaden's displeasure. "We've got better things to do than listen to some boring speech."

Before Jaden could complain, Alexis grabbed his other arm. "This could be important, Blair. You might want to listen to this too."

The two girls growled at each other while Jaden looked around desperately for a way out of the soon-to-be catfight. "Hey! Syrus!"

The girls quckly snapped their heads as Jaden passed through the crowd to reach Syrus, who looked very depressed.

"What's the matter, Sy?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Back onstage, Dr. Crowler walked over to Chancellor Sheppard and whispered in his ear. "All students and faculty appear to be accounted for."

"Good." Chancellor Sheppard took his cane and walked over to the podium. "I think it's time we get started." He stopped and cleared his throat, which seemed to attract the attention of the entire student body. "I've called you all here to discuss the issue of all these Shadow Games happening all over the island. I'll admit I'm very proud of the way you students are developing your abilities as duelists. But even so, even with our capable staff here, I'm afraid this is going to take a little more manpower than this. Which is why I called in a couple of old faces for backup. Come on in, boys!"

The entire audience turned around to the strumming of a ukulele.

"I told you to put that thing away!"

"Spoilsport."

The entire female student body (except for Alexis and a few others) shrieked with delight as the "boys" entered the main hall: the first, a tall young man with dark blue hair and a black coat, who had yanked away the other's ukulele; the second, a just-as-tall young man with long brown hair wearing an outfit similar to an elite Obelisk uniform, but with many stars on the collar.

"Students, faculty," Sheppard said, as the other teachers rose to clap politely, "I'd like to welcome back Zane Truesdale and Atticus Rhodes!"

Amidst the screaming fans, Alexis and Syrus both put their faces to their palms and said, "Oh brother."

* * *

Duo-san: If you don't know, that _was _Seto who was on the phone with Sheppard. And I've had that "Oh brother" line stuck in my head for AGES.

Weevil: How come we weren't in this chapter?

Rex: Yeah! I want a do-over!

Duo-san: No way! I've put this off long enough! Now, to commemorate my first ever 50th chapter (next chapter), I've decided to do a Q&A corner! Reviewers, send us your questions, and the cast of Delinquent Duo will answer them! We'll cover all the good topics: pairings, cards, even stuff I've got planned for later chapters!

Sara: You're just doing that to buy more time to make an actual chapter.

Duo-san: "Haste makes waste" as they say.

Jaden: Hey! You've got a letter already!

Duo-san: Sweet! -opens letter and reads it- _Dear Duo-kun, what took you so long?_

Jaden: ...

Duo-san: ...No comment.


	50. Q&A With the Cast

Okay, that's long enough.

Chapter 50 – Q&A With the Cast

"And we're live in 3…2…1…"

The camera shows us the inside of the Slifer Red Dorm. Professor Autumn sat at a folding table, wearing her red jacket on her back. Standing behind her was Ms. Dorothy, holding a mailbag under her left arm. Pharaoh the cat was sleeping right in the middle of the table.

"Good morning, readers," Professor Autumn said happily. "Welcome to the kinda-sorta-pseudo-50th Chapter of _Delinquent_ _Duo_. The author is as busy as he can be, even with his new job, but he's still diligently writing this story as well as others. So in honor of this, his first 50th Chapter, we're doing a temporary Questions and Answers Corner!"

"Tch. Some honor."

The camera panned to the left to see Chazz in his usual emo mood with his arms folded. Along with him were quite a few other students, including a few Ra students. Makes you wonder how many people are on the right.

The camera then panned back to Professor Autumn, who had just cleared her throat. "As you now know, I won't be the only one answering your questions. The entire cast just might have a few things to say as well, so keep an eye out for your favorites. So, let's break the ice with our first letter! Ms. Dorothy?"

Dorothy took the first envelope out of her bag. "The first one is from Tera-Earth."

"Ah, a loyal reader _and_ a good friend of the author." Ms. Dorothy handed the letter to Professor Autumn, who promptly opened it and took the letter out. "All right, this one says…"

_ya know, I kinda had a feeling it was kaiba on the phone. Just the way you wrote him. And for Missy, well all I can think about is Marcia Brady. With the football in the face, breaking the nose. So similar, which makes it so very funny. And I would just like to mention...Atticus is one of my favorite character, just for the Ukulele alone. _

_SO then, who else did Sheppard call? I'm guess he called more people if he referred to kaiba as "even he." Personally, Kaiba is the last one I would even think of calling if it involved something of this nature._

_so then, a very nice chapter. Sorry I cant think of any questions. if I do, I will probably inform you of them later._

"On the contrary, Miss Earth," Professor Autumn said, "you've just asked us a very good question. Ms. Dorothy, you seem to be on…ahem…good terms with Chancellor Sheppard. Did he tell you who he tried to reach?"

"Well, he did try to contact Mr. Kaiba," Ms. Dorothy said, "but he also mentioned reaching a certain game and toy shop in Domino City."

"…That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes total sense!" The camera panned over to the right to see Jaden Yuki. Also in the shot were Weevil, Rex, and Syrus. "Yugi's grandpa runs a game shop. Maybe he was trying to reach Yugi! Oh, that would've been so cool if he actually came here!"

"It would've been cool if we got the chance to beat the snot outta him," Weevil grumbled.

"You said it," Rex said.

Jaden quickly ran over to the good Professor's side of the table. "I really want to duel Yugi! Pleeeeease?"

"Uh…" Professor Autumn couldn't help but sweatdrop. "M-Maybe for Christmas."

"Really?? You're the best teacher ever!" Jaden then glomped his new favorite headmaster. The camera then panned over to Blair Flannigan and Alexis Rhodes. The camera shuddered as Blair looked absolutely fuming while Alexis simply scowled at Jaden.

"So Mokuba," Bastion said as the camera panned over to the two Ras, "how come your brother couldn't make it?"

"Seto did say he had a company to run," Mokuba said, folding his arms. "Right now, he's working on a new dueling prototype. It's totally gonna revolutionize dueling like there's no tomorrow!"

"Seriously?" Jaden asked.

"Mokuba," Bastion said, "I really don't think a 'dueling motorcycle' sounds very safe."

"It _will_ work! Trust me!"

"All righty." Ms. Dorothy took out another envelope. "The next one is from Hero Slayer."

"That doesn't sound good," Jaden said, getting back to the other side of the table.

"It's just a screen name, Jaden," Professor Autumn said, opening the envelope. "Besides, this man apparently has the author on his favorites list." She adjusted her glasses before reading the next letter.

_Sweet, this thing is back. _

_Hmm, Q & A_

_Well, since Atticus is back. _

_Question: What plans do you have for Alexis this year? More matchmaking, or another idol singing event._

"Another excellent question!"

Atticus actually grabbed the camera and panned over to…himself. Alexis could barely be seen behind him, putting a palm to her face.

"Hi there, readers. I understand what a pain it is to see Alexis put on that 'independent woman' act. You heard me right. It's an _act_! What she really needs is a good man to help her feel safe and secure. So tell me, who do _you_ think deserves to take my dear baby sister off my hands? Any takers?"

"Atticus…!"

Before he could respond, Alexis angrily slammed his face into the camera.

* * *

**Please stand by. We're experiencing some technical difficulties.**

* * *

"Sorry about that folks," Alexis said through the now slightly cracked lens of the camera, "but you know how my brother gets."

The camera panned a little to the left to see Atticus now lying on the table with an icepack covering his forehead and left eye.

"Remind me never to piss _you_ off," Rex said.

"Anyway," Alexis continued, "to be honest, I really don't have the time to be thinking about boys right now. But if you really want to know about the pairings so bad, the author's actually let slip something about a Halloween Dance in the near future."

"That's just fine by me!" The camera panned over to Blair, who was now cheerfully hugging a panicky Jaden. "Jaden and I are gonna be the belles of the ball! Aren't we Jaden?"

"Uh…"

"I think," Alexis said with a vein pulsing in the back of her head, "that Jaden would prefer someone closer to his own age."

"Well, I…"

"Well, let's ask Jaden what he thinks then," Blair said in a huff. "Jaden? What do you think?"

"Yes, Jaden," Alexis said, also walking over to him. "Do tell."

"I think…" Jaden thought desperately, feeling the glares from both girls boring into his forehead. "I think it's time for another letter!" Everyone crashed to the ground after that, including the cameraman.

"Teenagers." Ms. Dorothy shook her head as she took out the next letter. "This next one is from…Reader."

Silence.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

_I've been waiting for this for like forever. Atticus and Zane are back! But why? This is going to be interesting. *grins* Oh yeah, by the way, I've been wanting to ask this for a long time... how is Miss Autumn connected to Banner?_

At that instant, Pharaoh's ears immediately perked up. He felt the letter drape over his back as Autumn's face steadily got redder and redder.

"I think I'll answer this one," Ms. Dorothy said.

"Don't tell them anything," Professor Autumn nearly begged her. "You'll ruin it!"

"Don't worry," Ms. Dorothy said, putting a hand on the good professor's shoulder. "I won't give away any spoilers." She then turned to the camera. "Now, I can't honestly tell the entire truth because the author himself will reveal it in a later chapter, but I will say that my good friend Sharon and Professor Banner have a deeper connection than one might think. Some might say it borders on…roman-"

"Next letter! Next letter!" Professor Autumn interrupted, waving her arms frantically and spooking the cat.

"Thousand yen says she's his wife."

Once again, the camera quickly panned over to a chuckling Weevil Underwood who abruptly _stopped_ chuckling as soon as he laid eyes on his now angry headmistress.

"You're _this_ close to taking your finals early," Professor Autumn stressed.

"Sorry, ma'am."

"Moving right along." Ms. Dorothy took out the next letter. "This one is from WESTMAN AND L. Ooh, a two for one letter!"

"All right, let's see here." Professor Autumn opened up the envelope and adjusted her glasses.

_Great fic, Questions though? Okay, has Belowski(while he has his powers) ever snuck out and done somthing and not gotton caught because everyone fell asleep?_

"Good question," Professor Autumn said. "I think…where is Belowski?"

The camera panned to the left, to the right, then all around the room. There was no sign of the lazy Obelisk.

"He's probably still in his room," Jaden said as the camera panned back to him.

"Oh, that's not good," Professor Autumn said, running a hand through her hair. "That boy probably needs some air."

"It was pretty cool when he started attending classes with us," Jaden said.

"It was short, but sweet," Syrus said. "Kinda like me!"

And just like that, Missy started to gag right behind him.

"_Anyway_," Professor Autumn said as the camera panned back to her, "to my knowledge, I don't believe Belowski has actually gotten caught. He is allowed to come out every now and then, but Dr. Crowler's put him on a very short leash."

"That's a letdown," Rex said.

"Yeah," Weevil said. "Let's read the next one!"

Ms. Dorothy took the next letter from her bag. "This one's from Metal Overlord 2.0!"

"Ooh, it's the constructive one," Professor Autumn said. She opened the envelope and the letter actually unfolded _four_ times. "Wow! This is a long one! Okay, here we go."

_*Chuckles and hands you another letter* Here, perhaps this one will be a little more supportive LOL I'm thrilled to see that you have not abandoned one of the more charming GX stories on the site, the idea of Weevil and Rex becoming the underdog heroes (and I use that term VERY loosely) remains as wonderfully original as it was when I first started reading your story. However I also am noticing that your working hard to give more depth to some of the other lesser characters from the show like Missy, the Seance Class, and even Syrus. Though I wouldnt have minded seeing some more action with the Delinquent Duo, hopefully now that two of the greatest duelists in DA have returned we'll see some more intense action unfold inside and outside the duels themselves. One of my suggestions that I wanted to bring up was the use of more Duel Spirits, an idea that has a great deal of potential, so far we've only seen a few demonstrations of the lady in red's forces, but I think the story would be even more exciting if as the plot unfolded the Duel Spirits became more powerful. A possible demonstration could eventually being the summoning of a high level double summon Duel Spirit, particularly a destructive force like Infernal Flame Emperor or Sengenjin, make an outright attack on the school, and in a twist have Weevil and Rex, or another pairing team up to defeat it in a multiple chapter two on one duel! You've only given us a few duels so far but the ones you HAVE written were a lot of fun so I'm hoping to see what else you have up your sleeves. If you want an idea or two I'd be happy yo suggest more but I figured that this would be a good start to the Q and A section of your chapters. Here's hoping this review (or was it supposed to be a letter? LOL) was a fitting reward for all your hard work I'm looking forward to seeing when you update soon, later pal!_

The room went silent.

"Geez, man!"

_Relatively_ silent. The camera panned back over to Chazz, who was scratching his head.

"Well, uh…" The professor seemed at a loss for words. "I'm not sure how to answer this one…"

"I do…"

The entire room broke into a frantic uproar as the camera slid out of focus for a second before slowly panning over to Magical Ghost, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. She had her arm in a sling and several bandages wrapped around her face and waist.

"You see, my mistress does not tolerate failure from her servants, but she also doesn't like it when the little worker bees have a sting they cannot control. She prefers to focus on our unique abilities rather than our raw power. I, however, was chosen simply to recover the Shadow Charms from the old man's vault. It's sad, really."

"How are you here anyway?" Weevil asked. "I thought you were burnt to a crisp or something."

"I got better," Magical Ghost said with a crooked smile. "Besides that, my mistress is also a d-d-d-DAAAAAAGH!!!"

Everyone, even the cameraman, backed away as Magical Ghost started contorting again.

"I didn't want this sort of trouble, Mistress!" Magical Ghost pleaded miserably. "Please don't do it! I just want to sleep again!" However, once again the disgruntled witch lady soon disintegrated into blue flames just like before. Once again, the entire room went silent.

"I still think that's creepy."

_Relatively_ silent, thanks to Rex.

"On that note," Ms. Dorothy said, "I'm afraid we're out of letters."

"We are?" Professor Autumn blinked. "Well, at least those five letters were from our loyal, devoted readers. We put a lot of hard work into this story, but the author himself is always concerned with what the readers think. Speaking of, can we have a few words from Mr. Duo?"

"Mr. Duo!" Ms. Dorothy said, as the students started clapping. "Could you come to the front, please?"

And as the entire room clapped, the camera sharply tilted down to the floor ("Oh, that's not good," Professor Autumn said) as the esteemed author, Mr. Delinquent Duo, stepped to the front of the table. Only his feet could be seen.

"Thank you very much," Duo said. "And thank _you_ readers for staying with me this whole time, even during my notable absence to work on my other fics. I'm just going to tell you now, that the 'Spirits Attack' arc is just the tip of the iceberg! I've got way more stuff planned, but I'm not going to tell you guys just yet. Besides, the hardest part is actually writing the stuff so that it fits together with the rest of the story. Hopefully, if I'm ever able to reach 100 chapters, I'll have an even better surprise planned…if I can think of one. So keep reading, folks!"

* * *

Host – Prof. Sharon Autumn

Mailwoman – Ms. Dorothy

Slifer Red Students – Jaden Yuki, Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Blair Flannigan (Chazz Princeton scratched his name off this list)

Ra Yellow Students – Bastion Misawa, Mokuba Kaiba, Ichigo June (present, but didn't say anything), Missy Kochou

Obelisk Blue Students – Jerome Dalton, Wesley Reddings, Ethan Pisces, Alexis Rhodes, Sara Sanderling, Mokeo Belowski (not present)

Evil whackbags – Magical Ghost

Camera and other menial tasks – ME

* * *

Duo: Ah yes. 50 chapters. We've come quite a long way.

Missy: Hurry up and write the next one! I want to get back to Zane ASAP!

Duo: All right, all right. Okay, where was I? Oh yes. Zane and Atticus are back indeed, Atticus has an announcement of his own. Meanwhile, Weevil and Rex will hunt those bishies down!

Zane: If you really want to duel me, you're going to need one of these.

Weevil: What the heck is that??

Syrus: Oh man. Not those things again.


	51. Hunting for Pros

Well, it took me ages to figure out _exactly_ how I wanted to do this part. Plus, I would've gotten it done earlier had I not been distracted by the new Punch-Out!! game. Anyway, here's...

Chapter 51 - Hunting for Pros

Earlier…

"What is this announcement about anyway?" Rex asked.

"How should I know?!" Weevil snapped. "It had better be important, though."

WHUMP!

Weevil suddenly fell back and dropped his glasses after bumping into someone: someone with dark blue hair and a whole lot of black leather.

"You're in my way, brat," the tall man said before walking off on his own.

"Sorry about that, man," another man with long brown hair said, handing Weevil his glasses back. Weevil put his glasses back on just in time to watch the young men walk away.

"Who were those two?!" Weevil nearly yelled.

"Hey," Rex said, "I think they were messing with us!"

"Let's follow them!" Weevil said, pushing himself up. "The announcement can wait."

Ironically enough, just a minute later…

Weevil and Rex arrived just in time to gawk at Zane Truesdale and Atticus Rhodes marching through the treacherous fangirl infested crowd. The girls who weren't being held back by their boyfriends were being held back by other teachers. Also oddly enough, the only girl who wasn't even squealing was Missy, who couldn't help but just feebly reach for Zane's coat. Sadly, Zane didn't even seem to notice the girl. As the young men approached the podium, Chancellor Sheppard took this opportunity to sit down where the other teachers once were.

"First of all," Zane said gripping the mike and silencing the crowd, "I don't really believe in spirits and all that crap. I was called here on the pretense that an organization of duelists is threatening this Academy and its students. To be truthful, they're nothing but weaklings, even their leader. As God is my witness, I will hunt these weaklings down and crush them so bad, they won't ever want to pick up their cards again!" Zane ended this speech by slamming his fist on the podium.

Atticus couldn't help but laugh sheepishly. "Uh…yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, the...ahem...'confidence' of Zane Truesdale. Anyway, as Mr. Personality just said, we've got the whole situation under control. And to prove you guys have nothing to worry about, we've decided to throw a little Halloween Dance! Make sure you're dressed up real good!"

At that instant, the girls in the audience (except Alexis) went into an uproar again, each of them asking either Zane or Atticus for a date. Weevil, however, tapped the shoulder of a random Ra student.

"Who are those guys anyway?" Weevil asked.

"YOU'RE KIDDING ME!" the Ra yelled. "You haven't heard of them?!"

"If we had," Weevil grumbled, "would we be _asking_ about them?!"

"They're frickin' Zane Truesdale and Atticus Rhodes! Only the two strongest graduates of Duel Academy, like, _ever_!"

"Strongest ever, eh?" Weevil stroked his chin while an evil grin uncurled on his face.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rex asked with a similar grin.

About half an hour later…

Zane was back outside, arms folded, staring over a cliff. He could see the lighthouse where he always went with Alexis. He didn't bother once to talk to her or any of his old friends since he arrived.

"It's been almost a year," Zane said to himself.

"Zane! There you are!"

Zane shut his eyes in irritation as Missy came running his way with a big smile on her face. _Doesn't she have anyone else to bother?_

"I…I just want you to know," Missy started, having trouble finding the right words, "I may not look presentable right now, but…even so, I refuse to give up on us. I believe that we…"

"What are you doing here?"

"…Huh?"

"Did you follow me here just to babble on about that old nonsense about us being perfect for each other?"

"B-Babble? Nonsense?" It was safe to say that Missy was flabbergasted. "W-What are you talking about, Zaney?"

"And you're _still_ calling me that ridiculous nickname?! Honestly!"

Missy's jaw started to quiver. "B-But…Zane…why are you talking like this? Y-You were never like this back when you were a student."

"Back when I was a student, I kept a lot of things to myself. When people like you started bugging me, I usually just shrugged it off. But still, it never ended. There were even times I felt like I wanted to scream at it all. But I kept it all bottled up inside and let it be. But when I dueled for the first time in the underground with Mad Dog, I'll admit the shock collars felt like hell. And that moron's squeaky voice and my idiot manager Shroud didn't help either. And just like that, all my resentment, all the hatred I kept bottled up uncorked just like that." He then turned around to look at her with a malicious grin. "And let me tell you, it felt good."

Missy's eyes widened horribly.

"Now there's been something I wanted to say to you for a long time," Zane continued, "but the old me would never have said it."

Missy's smile started to come back. "Y-You…you love…?"

"You're an eyesore. Get out of my sight."

For a while, it was silent. Zane turned back to the sea as a gust of wind blew by. It wasn't long before the silence was broken when Missy hiccupped and started to cry.

"Zane, you're going way too far!"

Zane and Missy turned around as Syrus came marching their way. He did not look the least bit pleased. Nor did Missy as she futilely rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Missy sobbed angrily. "I d-don't want anything to do with you…"

"This isn't about you or me, Missy," Syrus said, keeping his glare focused on Zane. "It's about him."

"Oh?" Zane raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Do you have a problem with my behavior, little brother?"

"Yes. I do," Syrus said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I told you before I don't like one bit what those underground duels have done to you. I want the old Zane back! And there's someone else who wants the old Zane back too. Isn't that right, Missy?"

Missy's eyes widened. She seemed a little too shocked to say anything.

"Well, maybe the 'old Zane' doesn't feel like coming back," Zane said. "What are you going to do about it?"

"…I'll duel you," Syrus said, slowly putting on his Duel Disk. "I'll bring him back myself."

"What the hell are you doing?" Missy asked miserably. "You know you don't stand a chance against him!"

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

Missy was really taken aback. First he smacks her in the face with a soccer ball, then he back-talks her??

"Well, Zane," Syrus continued defiantly, "are we dueling or not?!"

For a while, no one said anything. The Truesdale brothers simply continued their stare-down, or rather, glare-down. You could cut the thick atmosphere with a…

"NO! He's dueling _me_ first!"

Everyone turned to see an exhausted Weevil Underwood, breathing heavily, with his hands on his knees and his face nearly drenched with sweat.

"And just who are you?" Zane asked.

Weevil slowly lifted his head and readjusted his glasses. "I'm your worst nightmare."

Down at the beach…

"Are you ready?! 'Cause I'm gonna put on a show!"

Mindy and Jasmine, among other girls, were watching with eager eyes as Atticus Rhodes, who was now wearing a black and blue wetsuit and carried a white surfboard with a palm tree design. His long hair blew in the wind as he surveyed the waves crashing against the sand.

"From the looks of things," Atticus said calmly, "it looks like these waves are gonna be perfect! And you know what that means," he added with a wink for the girls.

The girls responded with shrill screams of joy among calls of "You're the best, Rhodie!" and "Go get'm, Atticus!"

"Yeah, that's right," Atticus said smugly before lifting up his surfboard and charging towards the water. "COWABUNGAAAAA!"

"HEY YOU!"

Atticus suddenly tripped and nearly fell over at the sound of this new brasher voice, but managed to jam the surfboard into the sand to keep his footing. He and the girls then turned to see Rex Raptor walking their way with an arrogant grin on his face and a Duel Disk on his arm.

"Can this wait, buddy?" Atticus asked. "I'm a little busy."

"Why don't we give these girls a real show?" Rex said, brandishing his Disk like a shield.

"You saying you wanna duel me?" Atticus asked. But before Rex could answer, he was immediately confronted by Atticus' fangirls.

"What's your problem, dino-brain?!" Mindy shouted first.

"Can't you see Rhodie's trying to surf here?!" Jasmine yelled angrily.

"Rh…Rhodie?!"

"Hang on just a minute, ladies," Atticus said, stepping towards the dino duelist. "You wouldn't happen to be Rex Raptor, would you?"

Rex's grin seemed to intensify in arrogance. "Hah. So you do know who I am."

"It took me a while to recognize you," Atticus said. "I never thought that Duel Monsters' Number Two worst champion would be here."

Rex crashed to the ground after this comment while Atticus and the girls laughed at him.

"Oh, you think you're funny, huh?!" Rex growled. "Well, we may have been the worst, but we've been working our butts off here to become stronger!"

"We?" Atticus blinked. "So he's here too?"

"Yeah," Rex said with a sneer. "And unless I'm mistaken, Weevil should be dealing with your gothy counterpart right about now!"

Meanwhile…

Zane, Syrus, and Missy continued to stare questionably at the exhausted insect boy.

_Great. Someone else I don't need,_ Missy thought irritably.

"Uh…Weevil?" Syrus said sheepishly. "I can't let you duel my brother right now. This is kind of a family issue…"

"I don't care!" Weevil wheezed out. "I _literally _ran all over the island looking for this guy! I DESERVE A DUEL WITH HIM! I'VE EARNED IT!"

"Weevil," Syrus started, pressing his fingers to his forehead, "this isn't…"

"Wait, Syrus."

By this point, Zane turned his back on his magnificent view to face Weevil, who had just started to catch his breath.

"Your name's Weevil?" Zane asked. "As in Weevil Underwood?"

"Yeah. And?"

Zane couldn't help but smirk. "This is rich. Of all people, what's the former Champion of Japan doing here?"

"We've been training to become stronger!" Weevil shouted. "Strong enough to defeat the Egyptian Gods! And to do that, we've gotta defeat strong duelists! And we just so happened to hear someone tell us that you and your long-haired friend are the strongest graduates ever!"

"I won't deny that."

"So are you going to duel me or not?!" Weevil finished with a glare.

By this point, Missy completely wiped her tears and step in. "Zane's not going to waste time on a worm like…"

"As a matter of fact I will."

It was safe to say that Missy was stunned. "You will?"

"I've been looking for stronger opponents lately," Zane said. "Who knows? The former Champion of Japan just might give me what I want."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Weevil said, getting ready to put his Duel Disk on.

"But before that," Zane interrupted, reaching into his coat pocket, "you'll have to agree to a condition of mine."

Weevil narrowed his eyes. "What condition?"

"Anyone who duels me has to wear these." Zane took out what appeared to be three black collars with a red eye in each one. Upon seeing them, Syrus started to go pale.

"Oh man," Syrus said. "Not those…"

"What are those supposed to be?" Weevil asked.

"These collars are shock-amplifying devices," Zane explained, "but for simplicity's sake, let's call them shock collars. If you lose life points, these collars will give you a little jolt."

"What kind of jolt?"

"You want to find out?" Zane said holding them out. "Put them on and let's duel."

Meanwhile…again…

"So what do you say?" Rex growled. "Are we dueling or not?"

Once again, this earned Rex a confrontation from the fangirls.

"You've got a lot of nerve!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Rhodie is _busy._"

"Oh, I'm not busy at all," Atticus said with a shrug. "Sure Rex. Let's put on a show."

"But Rhodieeeee!" the girls squealed.

"Come on, ladies. Don't tell me you don't _want_ to watch me duel," Atticus added with a sparkle of his teeth.

* * *

Duo-san: I think we know the answer to that one. And once again, I have to put this fic on hiatus for a good while because I'm about to do the unthinkable: TWO DUELS AT ONCE! My fingers are gonna be sore...


	52. The Strongest Duelists

Chapter 52 – The Strongest Duelists

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Syrus asked, while fastening the shock collars to Weevil's arms. "You could get seriously hurt."

"After what I've been through, I can handle a little more pain," Weevil said.

"A 'little' isn't what I'm going to offer," Zane said while Weevil got the last shock collar on his neck. "You're about to enter a whole new world of pain."

"You're gonna need more than some electric dog collars to beat me," Weevil said, putting his Duel Disk on and activating it.

_Is he confident or just ignorant?_ Missy couldn't help but wonder.

"You'd better give me all you've got, _former_ Champion," Zane said, putting on his Duel Disk and activating it as well.

"Well, I guess there's no talking you out of it," Syrus said, stepping to the sidelines. "Good luck."

"You've already got this in the bag, Zane!" Missy cheered.

"DUEL!" Both duelists shouted as their Life Points were set to 4000.

Down on the beach…

The girls sat on the sidelines with the patience of saints as Rex and Atticus prepped their decks.

"I can't believe this guy has the gall to challenge Rhodie," Jasmine said angrily.

"Well, either way we do get to watch him duel," Mindy said.

And as though on cue, Atticus looked over at the girls and winked, causing them to swoon and Rex to sweatdrop.

"Are you gonna be doing that the entire duel?" Rex asked irritably.

"Not really," Atticus said, putting on his duel disk. "For now, you have my undivided attention. And I'm gonna go at you with everything I've got."

"Well, color me flattered," Rex said with a smirk, "but I won't _need_ everything I've got to take you on."

"We shall see."

"DUEL!" Both duelists' Life Points were set to 4000.

* * *

"The first move is mine!" Weevil said, drawing a card. And he just couldn't hide that sinister grin. _Heh heh! I've already got everything I need!_ "I'm going to end this quick! I summon Pinch Hopper (1000/1200) in Attack Mode!" Weevil's grasshopper monster took to the field, looking like it's ready to pinch off _something._ "I'll also set two cards face down and end my turn."

"Pretty small for someone who wants to end things quick," Zane said, drawing a card. "Let me show you _my_ opening gambit. I summon my Cyber Dragon (2100/1600) in Attack Mode." Zane's monster was a sort of robotic serpent dragon.

"Wait a minute!" Weevil said, looking slightly peeved. "You can't summon a Level 5 monster just like that! You're cheating!"

"Like you're one to complain about cheating," Zane said in a nonchalant tone, causing Weevil to growl. "Besides, I can summon this without a sacrifice since you have a monster and I don't. That's its special ability. Now if you don't mind, I think I'll attack your Pinch Hopper. Cyber Dragon, attack with Strident Blast!"

Cyber Dragon charged up a bright blue light in its mouth, which it then blasted at Pinch Hopper, thereby completely obliterating it. Weevil (LP: 2900) had to shield himself from the blast.

"You might want to brace yourself for this," Zane said with a smirk.

"Why? What's going to ha-AAAAAAAAAGH!" Just like that, the shock collars kicked in and an electrical current started to surge through Weevil's body, making him scream involuntarily. On the sidelines, Missy and Syrus couldn't help but cringe.

"That's _gotta_ hurt," Missy said.

"I'm hurting just _watching_ that," Syrus said.

Eventually, Weevil stopped screaming as the current died down. He took a few seconds to catch his breath and push up his glasses.

"Did you enjoy getting electrocuted?" Zane asked, folding his arms.

"No. So what?" Weevil snapped. "At any rate, by destroying my Pinch Hopper, you triggered its special ability! When it's sent to the graveyard, I can summon any Insect-type monster I want from my hand." Once again, that familiar smirk appeared on Weevil's face. "And what better to summon than my Insect Queen (2200/2400)?"

Emerging on the field was one of Weevil's ace monsters, the terrifying Insect Queen. It seemed to take a few seconds to materialize due to its sheer size and once it was finished, it let out a horrific shriek as its Attack Points suddenly rose to 2400.

"Surprised?" Weevil asked in his smug tone. "Her Majesty's Attack power increases for every Insect monster on the field, including the Queen herself! Looks like you didn't think things through."

"Unlike you, I can afford not to," Zane said, taking another card from his hand. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"Then it's back to me!" Weevil drew his next card and looked at it. "I summon Skull-Mark Ladybug (500/1500)!" Skull-Mark Ladybug took to the field, gnashing its little mandibles. Plus, Insect Queen's power rose to 2600 as well. "Now I know you're thinking, why summon such a weak monster in Attack Mode? It's simple, really. Her Majesty cannot attack without a quick snack. And what better meal than her loyal servants? Insect Queen, devour Skull-Mark Ladybug!"

The Insect Queen snatched up the Ladybug and pinned it to the ground before sinking her fangs into its flesh. Just like before, Syrus looked queasy as Insect Queen messily devoured her servant, leaving a mess of chewed up bug guts. Missy, however, just narrowed her eyes, though she looked slightly blue in the face.

"Well. That's pleasant," Missy uttered.

"Now it's time to attack!" Weevil shouted. "Destroy Cyber Dragon!"

Insect Queen crawled forward and raised an arm, but Zane took this opportunity to raise a face down card.

"That's as far as you go, Your Highness," Zane said. "I activate Attack Reflector Unit. This allows me to upgrade my Cyber Dragon to Cyber Barrier Dragon (800/2800). And I'll bring it out in Defense Mode!"

Insect Queen's claws clashed against the sudden electric barrier made by Zane's Cyber Barrier Dragon, another robotic serpent dragon, with some sort of satellite looking collar around its neck. And as Weevil's Life Points dropped to 2500 (After Insect Queen's Attack dropped back to 2400), Weevil felt another jolt from his collar, though it didn't hurt as much since he only lost a few Life Points that time. Still, Weevil couldn't help but rub his neck.

"I know the ins and outs of your Insect Queen full well," Zane said, folding his arms. "In order to maintain her Attack Points, she lays an egg, but only if she's able to destroy my monster. What kind of duelist do you take me for?"

"One who didn't expect this!" Weevil raised his Duel Disk to show his Life Point counter jumping to 3900. Zane's eyes widened just a little bit. "Clearly you didn't factor in my Skull-Mark Ladybug. When it's sent to the Graveyard, it increases my Life Points by 1000!"

"I see you're a _little_ crafty," Zane said.

"And I see _you're_ running scared, hiding behind your Dragon like that," Weevil said with a sneer. "Now, I'll end my turn."

"Very well."

* * *

"Allow me to make the first move," Atticus said, drawing his first card with a slight flourish. "I'll summon Troop Dragon (700/800) in Defense Mode." Atticus' first monster was a rather small dragon with gladiator-esque armor and a spear. Not very impressive. "I'll end my turn there."

"Pretty lame for your first turn," Rex said, drawing his first card. "I'll show you a _real_ monster! I summon Two-Headed King Rex (1600/1200) in Attack Mode!" Rex's two-headed monster took to the field with a roar, scaring away a random flock of seagulls. "Smash that dumb Troop Dragon!"

It didn't take long for King Rex to take to the air and stomp Troop Dragon flat. Atticus didn't look fazed in the least. In fact, he was smiling. The same could not be said for the girls, however.

"Booooo!"

Rex couldn't help but flinch. They were actually _booing_ him! "WHAT?"

"It's all right, ladies," Atticus said, cool as a cucumber. "Troop Dragon's got a special ability, remember? When it's destroyed in battle, I can summon another Troop Dragon from my deck." And just as he said, another Troop Dragon appeared on the field, much to King Rex's surprise.

"Whatever," Rex grumbled as Atticus shuffled his deck. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

"Excellent. I draw!" Atticus drew his next card and looked at it. "Ooh, that's a nice one. I activate the Spell, Cost Down!"

"Uh oh." Rex's eyes went wide open.

"Judging by your 'uh oh' I'm guessing you know that, in exchange for a card in my hand, I can level down the monsters in my hand by two stars. Now I sacrifice my Troop Dragon…" Atticus paused for a smile with a twinkle from his shiny white teeth. "…and summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!"

"Wait. W-What?"

"You heard me," Atticus said, raising a finger to the sky. "Red-Eyes! Come on dooooown!" Materializing on the field was a giant black dragon with glowing red eyes and horns lined along its head and jaws. It spread its long wings as it touched down on the sand.

The girls burst into cheers while Rex's jaw simply hung open in utter shock. "Red…Red-Eyes?" A brief flashback played in his mind as he dueled a certain blonde monkey with that very same card. He lost the card as a result and, in a much later duel, the blonde guy used that very same monster right back against him.

"You seem shocked," Atticus said. "Just wait 'til you see this attack!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Rex snapped, lifting his face down card. "I activate Threatening Roar!" Two-Headed King Rex let out another loud roar that practically shook the entire beach. Red-Eyes Black Dragon felt a sweatdrop on the side of its head. "Looks like you can't attack this turn. Too bad, so sad."

"Yeah," Atticus said with a shrug. "Good thing I've got this: the Spell card, Inferno Fire Blast!" Red-Eyes took a deep breath and fired a black fireball _directly_ at Rex, dropping his Life Points to 1600.

"What the hell?" Rex shouted. "I know I activated Threatening Roar! Red-Eyes shouldn't have been able to attack at all, much less directly!"

"It wasn't an attack, per se," Atticus explained. "The Inferno Fire Blast Spell card allows me to nail you for 2400 points of damage. That's equal to the Attack strength of one Red-Eyes Black Dragon I control. Of course, my Dragon can't attack for real when I activate this. I'm surprised I had to use it so soon. But hey, we're here to put on a show. Right, ladies?" And with a subsequent wink and a flip of his bangs, the girls went wild again.

"He's so cool!" Mindy shouted in glee.

"He's going all out already," Jasmine said with a blush on her face, "even against a Slifer!"

Rex was clearly irritated while Atticus was hamming it up for the ladies. "COME ON! What are you waiting for, Christmas? End your turn already!"

"Don't be a killjoy, dude," Atticus said. "I'll end my turn right now, okay?"

"Much better."

* * *

Zane calmly drew his next card. "I summon Exploder Dragon (1000/0) in Attack Mode!"

Zane's next monster was a medium-sized blue dragon clutching some sort of egg-shaped explosive. "In addition, I also switch my Cyber Barrier Dragon to Attack Mode (800)."

Weevil couldn't help but laugh. "Ha! What are _they_ gonna do?"

"I'll show you! Exploder Dragon, attack Insect Queen!"

Weevil was clearly baffled, but paid it no mind as Insect Queen pinned down and slashed up Exploder Dragon as it flew in close.

"Another mistake you made!" Weevil jeered.

"Is it, really?"

Once again, Weevil was baffled and didn't notice that the Exploder Dragon's bomb was left over on the field. The bomb exploded right underneath Insect Queen, blowing a hole through her greedy gullet and making her disintegrate afterward.

"HUH?" Clearly, Weevil didn't see that one coming. "Wh-What just happened?"

"Fool. That's Exploder Dragon's special ability," Zane explained. "When it's destroyed in battle, it takes out the monster that destroyed it. Not only that, but neither of us take _any_ battle damage."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"But I'm not done with you yet," Zane continued. "Cyber Barrier Dragon, attack the _former _champion directly! Sonic Shriek!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon fired a ring-shaped burst of pink energy from the ring around its neck, dropping Weevil's Life Points to 3100. With that 800 point drop came another shock to Weevil's system. "Ghh…Ghhkgk…" Weevil sputtered through clenched teeth.

"Don't hold in your screams," Zane said with a smirk. "Embrace the pain. It's a reminder that you're still alive."

"Rrrgh…" Weevil paused to wipe his mouth. "Just end your turn."

"Fine. Go ahead. Put up your feeble resistance."

Weevil drew his next card. "I summon Flying Kamakiri #2 (1500/800) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil's mantis monster took to the field, sharpening its blades. "Attack Cyber Barrier Dragon! Kama Cutter!"

"I activate Barrier Dragon's ability!" Once again, Cyber Barrier Dragon put up its barrier, causing Flying Kamakiri #2 to crash right into it and bounce back. For some reason, Weevil felt the need to shield himself.

"…Nothing happened?"

"If you think I'd switched my Cyber Barrier Dragon to Defense Mode," Zane explained, "you'd be wrong. When it's in Attack Mode, my Dragon can negate one of your attacks."

"…Oh."

"It's just as I suspected," Zane said, shaking his head. "You're completely unprepared to come against me."

_He's right,_ Syrus thought. _Zane's been leading Weevil into making one mistake after another this entire duel._

"I'll show you how prepared I am," Weevil retorted. "I'll place another card face down and end my turn!"

"Play all the traps you want," Zane said, drawing his next card. "It's all for nothing. I summon Cyberdark Edge (800/800) in Attack Mode!" Weevil raised an eyebrow at Zane's next monster, a metallic black centipede-looking machine with razor sharp wings. "Next, I'll activate my Edge's special ability." Cyberdark Edge stretched out several wires from its body into some sort of dimensional hole, from which it dragged out…

"Exploder Dragon?"

"Surprised? My Cyberdark Edge has dragged Exploder Dragon back from the Grave and siphoned its power into its own Attack points." And just as he said, Cyberdark Edge's Attack power jumped up to 1800. "But that's not all. Cyberdark Edge can also attack directly, in exchange for half its Attack strength."

With Exploder Dragon in tow, Cyberdark Edge spread its sharp wings and came flying at Weevil.

"Oh no you don't!" Weevil raised one of his face down cards. "I activate…"

* * *

Rex drew his next card. "I activate Polymerization! I'll fuse my Two-Headed King Rex with the Crawling Dragon #2 in my hand to summon Bracchio-Raidus (2200/2000)!" Rex's giant blue sauropod stomped into the field in Attack Mode. "Not only that, but I normal summon Kabazauls (1700/1500) in Attack Mode!" Kabazauls materialized on the field as well, briefly wiping its nostrils. "Plus, I'll add on the Equip Spell, Raise Body Heat, pumping up my Bracchio-Raidus' Attack and Defense points by 300 (2500/2200)! Now attack, Bracchio-Raidus! Crush Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Bracchio-Raidus bellowed as it charged toward Red-Eyes Black Dragon and swung its tail right in the dragon's face, making it shatter and lowering Atticus' Life Points to 3900. "It's your turn, Kabazauls!" Rex ordered. "Attack!" Kabazauls clumsily stomped over, raising an arm to attack, but instead let out a mighty sneeze that kicked up a big cloud of sand. "And this round goes to the herbivores!"

Atticus coughed and rubbed his eyes as his Life Points dropped to 2200. "Well, that's just bogus."

Rex could hear the girls complaining about the sand getting in their eyes or their hair. "Oh, boo hoo. I'll just end my turn now."

"Ugh. Fine." Atticus said, drawing his next card. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in Attack Mode!" The monster Atticus summoned was a blue squat-looking dragon with a long pointed snout resembling a spear. "Attack Kabazauls! Cyclone Blast!" Spear Dragon spread its wings and took to the air before spinning around like a drill and skewering Kabazauls, shattering it as a result before jumping back (Rex LP: 1400). "Next, I'll set two cards face down and Spear Dragon switches to Defense Mode. That ends my turn."

"Defense Mode won't keep you safe!" Rex said, drawing his next card. _Darn it, why haven't I drawn any Trap cards? _"Bracchio-Raidus, destroy Spear Dragon!" Once again, Bracchio-Raidus stomped over and tail-smacked Spear Dragon, causing it to shatter.

"That doesn't bother me," Atticus said.

"Oh well," Rex said. "Get ready for me to finish you off next turn!"

"Whatever you say," Atticus said, drawing his next card. "I'll activate my face down cards! First off is Mystical Space Typhoon! This'll take care of your Body Heat card!"

Rex flinched as Raise Body Heat shattered.

"Next, I activate Call of the Haunted and bring back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Red-Eyes emerged on the field again with a shriek.

"So you're gonna destroy my dino. Big deal. I've got more where that came from!"

Atticus loudly cleared his throat. "If you'd let me finish, I would say I'm going to soup up my Red-Eyes first! You see, I can tribute this monster in order to summon…wait for it…Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon (2400/2000)!"

"_Darkness_ Dragon?"

* * *

"…Compulsory Evacuation Device! Back to the hand, Cyberdark Edge!"

Cyberdark Edge disappeared from the field as Zane returned his card to his hand. "It's of little consequence. Next I'll play Future Fusion! This allows me to summon a Fusion Monster next turn. But I must send the appropriate material monsters from my deck to the Graveyard. So…I'll no longer need these!" Zane nearly ripped out half his deck, scattering his cards into the air. Weevil, Missy, and Syrus were all shocked at this.

"Are you serious?" Weevil shouted. "Are you deliberately throwing away all those cards?"

"This isn't good," Syrus said. "Be careful, Weevil! Zane's gonna summon something big next turn!"

"It doesn't matter," Weevil said, drawing his next card. "Whatever it is, won't even touch me! I activate my face down cards: DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier! DNA Surgery allows me to turn every monster on the field into an Insect!" And just as he said, Cyber Barrier Dragon started twitching like crazy as spindly insect legs sprouted from each of its joints. "And as the name implies, Insect Barrier prevents all insects from attacking by any means! My next step is to get rid of your Cyber Barrier Dragon! So I play the Spell Premature Burial! In exchange for 800 Life Points (LP: 2300), I summon Insect Queen (2200/2400) from my Graveyard!"

Insect Queen crawled up from the ground and let out a horrific shriek as its Attack points went up to 2800.

"Next, I'll summon Neo Bug (1800/1700) in Attack Mode!" Weevil's mantis monster took to the field, sharpening its mandibles. With that, Insect Queen's Attack power went up to 3000. "I'll start by attacking with Flying Kamakiri #2!" Flying Kamakiri took to the air and took a swipe at Barrier Dragon, only to have it bounce back again from the barrier.

"I'm assuming you remembered my Cyber Barrier Dragon can negate your attack," Zane said, unimpressed.

"I do remember," Weevil said with his trademark sneer. "But it doesn't work more than once, does it?"

Zane narrowed his eyes and growled.

"This is great!" Syrus said. "He could take out Zane's Life Points just like that!" Missy, however, felt the need to chew on her thumbnail.

"Neo Bug, destroy Cyber Barrier Dragon once and for all!" Neo Bug skittered forward and chopped up Cyber Barrier Dragon with its razor-sharp mandibles, dropping Zane's Life Points to 2800. "Now let's see how you like getting zapped!"

Just as Weevil said, Zane's shock collars began to electrocute him, but he didn't even flinch. Weevil gritted his teeth.

"Nothing? Then how about a bigger shock? Insect Queen, devour Flying Kamakiri #2 and attack pretty boy directly!" Insect Queen snatched up Flying Kamakiri, briefly tossing it in the air before catching it in her mouth and sucking whatever fluids it had dry. The rest disintegrated as Insect Queen's points dropped to 2600. Insect Queen then stomped over towards Zane and swiped away at him with both claws. Zane's shock collars kicked into overdrive as his Life Points dropped to 200. However, he still remained cool as a cucumber as the Insect Queen laid an egg, raising her Attack points back to 2800.

"Ooooh, so close," Missy uttered.

"Really?" Weevil shouted in raw disbelief. "You're not even hurt? I'm betting your collars aren't even on!"

"Oh, they're very much active," Zane said, placing a hand on the collar on his neck. "I've been wearing these collars for so long, they don't even bother me anymore. That being said, those last two attacks actually tickled a little. To think I can still feel pain…"

Weevil growled at how calm Zane was. "Don't go thinking you're so cool! I swear I'll finish you off next turn!"

"There is no next turn for you," Zane said, drawing his next card, "because my Future Fusion card is ready to bear fruit! Come forth, Chimeratech Overdragon!"

Descending from above on Zane's side of the field was an enormous metallic dragon with six twisting heads. Syrus and Missy stared up at Chimeratech Overdragon in utter awe. Weevil stared up at the thing, looking like he was about to wet his pants…at least until Overdragon started writhing and started to sprout insect legs, antennae on each head, and a pair of giant tattered moth wings.

"Heh heh…heh heh…" Weevil started laughing out of relief. "Hahahahaha! So much for that! It certainly looks flashy, but it still gets a little DNA Surgery of its own! And with Insect Barrier on the field, you can't…"

"Chimeratech Overdragon's Attack and Defense points," Zane rudely interrupted, "are totaled up to 800 times the number of fusion material monsters I tossed to the Graveyard. Since I tossed away ten monsters, that makes its Attack Strength 8000."

"DON'T INTERRUPT MY SPEECH!" Weevil snapped.

"In addition, it can attack as many times as the number of material monsters I used for the fusion."

"Will you listen to me?" Weevil snapped again, stamping his foot on the ground. "I'm telling you, even if that thing has a million points, it can't attack with Insect Barrier on the field!"

"And by the way," Zane continued, "I have another card to play: Mystical Space Typhoon!"

And just like that, Weevil turned white as a sheet. "…?"

"Now, what were you saying about your DNA Surgery?"

* * *

Red-Eyes Black Dragon's armored hide cracked little by little before exploding. Amidst the smoke, a new dragon emerged: one slightly larger Red-Eyes with orange highlights, more spikes, and large bladed wings.

It was safe to say that Rex was impressed. "Hoooo-leeeee…"

"It gets better! Darkness Dragon gets an extra 300 Attack points for each Dragon in the graveyard." Atticus paused to rub his chin. "So, let's see…that's two Troop Dragons and one Red-Eyes Black Dragon which makes…"

"Thirty-three hundred Attack points!" Mindy said with a very enthusiastic jump.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon roared as its Attack Strength went up to 3300.

"But I can see that won't be enough," Atticus continued, "so I'll summon my last card, Red-Eyes Wyvern (1800/1600)!" The last monster from Atticus' hand was a little more than half the size of Red-Eyes Black Dragon, but had no arms and a slightly lighter shade of gray.

"This is gonna suck," Rex growled.

"Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack Bracchio-Raidus! Inferno Darkness Blast!" Darkness Dragon launched a fireball from its mouth, engulfing Bracchio-Raidus in flames. Rex had to shield himself from the heat as his Life Points dropped to 1100. "Now that that's out of the way...Wyvern! FINISH HIM!" Red-Eyes Wyvern kicked up a fierce gale with its wings, sending Rex tumbling back several feet.

"Rrrrgh!" Rex pounded his fist in the sand as his Life Points dropped to zero.

"Yay! Rhodie won!" seemed to summarize the deluge of cheers from the girls on the sidelines. They were about ready to rush Atticus down, but he raised a hand, causing them to practically freeze in place. As the holograms vanished, Atticus strolled over and held his hand out for Rex to grab.

"Not a bad duel," Atticus said with a grin, "if I say so myself. Especially on my part."

"Grrrr…" Rex simply pushed himself up off the sand and brushed off his coat.

"Oh come on!" Jasmine shouted. "You could at least thank him for the duel!"

"It was fun to watch!" Mindy shouted. "THANK HIM!"

"WHO ASKED YOU ANYWAY?" Rex snapped at the girls. "Listen, beach bum. I _am_ gonna get stronger, you hear me? And I'm gonna duel you again! And _then_ I'm gonna take those Red-Eyes cards for myself!"

"The nerve of this guy!" Mindy shouted, ready to pull her hair out…or pull Rex's hair out.

"Hey, no skin off my neck." Everyone on the beach was dumbstruck by what Atticus just said. "You've got yourself a goal now. Work for it like you mean it, dude."

Rex continued to glare at Atticus before stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. "Thanks…I guess."

"By the way," Atticus spoke again, "you might want to look for your friend. If I know Zane, he's gonna be putting that kid through the wringer."

"So what? It's just a duel," Rex said, walking away.

"A duel with electric shock collars."

"Huh?" Rex stopped and turned around.

"Shock collars," Atticus said in a more serious tone. "They use them in the Underground Duel Circuit to inflict real pain. Every time a duelist loses Life Points, they deliver an electric shock to the duelist. And unfortunately, Zane has a bad habit of going overboard."

"WHAT?"

* * *

Weevil jumped as his DNA Surgery shattered. "I suppose the old me would commend you for getting my Life Points so low. But right now, I'm irritated that I allowed trash like you to live this long. You and your monsters deserve the most painful death imaginable." As the insect parts on Chimeratech Overdragon rotted off and scattered into the wind, Weevil's eye twitched as all six heads fixed on his position. "Chimeratech Overdragon, give the former Champion of Japan exactly what he deserves. Final Evolution Burst!"

Both Syrus and Missy had to shield themselves as Overdragon charged up a laser in each of its mouths and fired a barrage of yellow energy blasts at Weevil. You could barely hear him scream as his monsters disintegrated, his Life Points dropped to zero, and his electric collars went into overdrive in the process.

"Weevil Underwood," Zane said, "…welcome to Hell."

* * *

**Duo-san:** No, things _aren't_ looking to good. Thanks for noticing. I apologize for keeping you waiting, but I've had a lot of things to worry about. Chief among them being that I'm going to be an uncle in a month or so! Can you believe it?

Anyway, I'm currently working on the next chapter. Hopefully, since there's no dueling action, it won't take so long this time. But we do have a heck of a Halloween party to look forward to with costumes galore! Plus a special guest: the woman in red's true identity will be revealed soon!


	53. The Halloween Party

Man oh man, was I in a rush to get this done in time for Halloween.

Chapter 53 – The Halloween Party

"Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!"

After his duel with Atticus, Rex ran as hard as he could around the island, searching for his partner in crime. "This is bad! This is seriously bad!"

_They __use __them__ in __the __Underground __Duel __Circuit __to __inflict __real __pain,_ Atticus' voice replayed in his head._Every__ time__ a__ duelist __loses __Life__ Points, __they__ deliver __an__ electric __shock__ to__ the __duelist. __And __unfortunately, __Zane__ has__ a__ bad__ habit__ of__ going__ overboard._

"I mean, it _sounds_ cool," Rex admitted to himself, "but there's no way Weevil's prepared for something like that!"

Up on the cliff…

The smoke from Chimeratech Overdragon's attack still hadn't let up even after Overdragon itself faded away and Zane retracted his Duel Disk. Syrus and Missy both stared with wide eyes, waiting for some sort of response from Weevil.

"Weevil!" Syrus shouted, but received no answer.

A gust of wind blew by, inexplicably blowing away the holographic smoke. And sprawled out on his back was Weevil Underwood, with his eyes rolled back in his head. He seemed to show signs of life as his body was still randomly twitching.

"Oh no! Weevil!" Syrus ran past his brother to check on Weevil while Zane simply turned to walk off. Missy could only watch helplessly as Zane sauntered away.

"Missy!" Syrus yelled. "Don't just stand there! Help me get these things off him!"

"O-Okay." Missy hesitantly ran over to get Weevil's shock collars off. Because of this, she wasn't able to see Zane hunched over and clutching his chest.

_Damn,_ Zane thought to himself. _Not__ this __again._ Zane forced himself to straighten up. And just in time, as Rex was running up the hill, nearly out of breath.

"Hey," Rex huffed out. "Where's Weevil?"

"Up on the cliff," Zane said, trudging past Rex. "He's still alive. But that twitching could mean something else."

A week later…

The Halloween Dance was officially on. The main facility had a pair of Jack O'Lanterns on either side of the front door, one smiling and one scowling. A whole bunch of students had arrived already, wearing their own costumes, some Halloween-ish, some not so much, and some looking remarkably like Duel Monsters. Apparently, Chancellor Shepard and Ms. Dorothy had decided to dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus respectively. Now, who else is here…?

"Hold it right there, evildoers! I am the mighty Jadenman!"

Yes, rather predictably, Jaden decided to dress up like a superhero, complete with red cape, black mask, and white spandex bodysuit with red gloves and boots. And yes, he's gathering quite a bit of attention. And doing not so much attention grabbing was Syrus, who sauntered out from behind Jaden in a similar suit with blue gloves and boots. But no cape. Just a hood.

"Why do I have to be Sidekick Boy? I think Super Syrus would've been a cooler name!"  
"I know that," Jaden said, "but you're the sidekick. And by default, you _can__'__t_ be cooler than the main hero. Don't you read comic books?"

Syrus sighed heavily. "I'm always Sidekick Boy."

"It suits you both!"

"Who dares?" Jaden spun around to meet his challenger: Chazz Princeton (of course) had upgraded his costume from the Spirit Day Festival to the VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon.

"Holy evil robot, Jadenman!" Syrus felt the need to shout.

"You got that right," Jaden said, dramatically pointing a finger. "An evil machine created by some mad scientist! Nice touch, by the way."

"You really think anyone's going to buy into your dumb superhero sideshow?" Chazz practically spat out. "You guys are lamer than I thought!"

"Your words have no effect on me," Jaden said with his knuckles on his hips. "Cease and desist, mechanical monster!"

"I've got better things to do than waste time…" Chazz stopped his complaining when he noticed the crowd they were gathering. And in seconds, it was clear by the smirk on his face that Chazz's show-off side was getting the better of him. "In that case…cower in fear, heroes! You have no chance against me! I'm gonna blow you to smithereens!"

"That's not gonna happen!" Jaden said, clenching a fist. "We have the power of friendship on our side! We can't lose!"

"Yeah!" Syrus spoke up. "Do your worst!"

Chazz raised his…well…could you call those fists? "You asked for it! Here I come!" No sooner than he started running that he tripped over his clunky armor and fell face first on the floor. Chazz struggled a bit in his suit, but his arms were too long to push up. "Well, that's great."

"Ha ha!" Jaden and Syrus did a high five for their (fluke) victory. "A victory for us…"

"And a victory for justice!" Syrus finished.

"Oh, Jadenman, you saved me!"

Jaden went white as a sheet when he heard that voice. "Oh no… It can't be!"

"It is!" The crowd behind Jaden backed off as Blair Flannigan emerged with a smile on her face. She was dressed up like the Maiden in Love card! "I can't thank you enough for saving me that horrible robot!"

"Can someone help me up?" Chazz asked.

"As a reward for your courage," she said with a twirl, "I must present you with a very special Maiden Counter!" Blair's lips seemed to sparkle as she spoke and the entire background turned pink. Both Jaden and Syrus were freaked out.

"Maiden Counters…" Jaden said with a shiver. "My one weakness…"

"Is she really wearing lip gloss?" Syrus nearly shouted.

"Now come to me, heroic Jadenman!" Blair held her arms out wide. "Accept your reward! I insist!" At that instant, the pink background faded in seconds. "…Jaden?"

"JADENMAN AWAY!"

"Don't you leave me with her!"

The courageous hero, Jadenman, and his trusty sidekick had evidently disappeared into the crowd. Blair was clearly baffled. "Was it something I said?"

"You're standing on my hand!" Chazz shouted.

"That was a close call, Sidekick," Jaden said, wiping his brow, "but I think we lost her…Sidekick?" Jaden pulled up his mask. "Syrus?" His faithful sidekick was nowhere to be found. "Where'd you go?"

"That girl is out of control," Syrus said, pulling back his hood and trudging through the crowd. "And on top of that, I lost Jaden!" He stopped his complaining when he bumped into someone from behind. "Oh. Sorry about tha…" Syrus froze. The reddish-violet haired person in front of him slowly turned around. She wore a short black dress, a pair of large butterfly wings on her back, a pair of antennae on her head, a bandage wrapped around her face, and a _very_ incensed glare.

"M…Missy?"

"Jaden, my man! There you are!"

Jaden turned around to see Atticus heading his way with a grin on his face. He had decided to dress up like a vampire. "You're just who I wanted to see!"

"Atticus!" Jaden put his mask back on. "Hey, have you seen Sidekick…I mean Syrus?"

"No, I haven't. But there is someone else who's looking for you."

Jaden sighed in frustration. "Oh, I hope it's not Blair."

"Nope, even better! Come on!" Atticus led Jaden through the crowd and over to one of the walls. "There she is!"

"Atticus?" The person in question was Alexis, who had decided to dress up like Cyber Angel Benten. "You said you were going to get me some punch!"

"Another time," Atticus said, putting an arm around the clueless hero's shoulder. "Now, I don't know about you J-Man, but I think Alexis looks even better in spandex than you do. But what do _you_ think?"

"Are you kidding? That's an awesome costume!" Jaden said enthusiastically, unknowingly causing Alexis to blush.

"Well, Jaden," Alexis said, brushing her bangs from her eyes, "I have to admit, you don't look…"

"I should've dressed up like a Duel Monster too," Jaden said, rubbing his chin. "I would've rocked as Flame Wingman. Or maybe Thunder Giant! But what would Syrus dress like? MudballMan?"

Alexis couldn't help but sweatdrop. "For Heaven's sake…"

"Jaden, come on!" Atticus snapped. "I gave up on Chazz so I could try to hook you up with my sweet baby sister! To be honest, you seem a heck of a lot more fun. Plus, I'd rather she not be single for the rest of her-OW! OW! OW!" Atticus stopped when Alexis started tugging on his hair. "Not cool, Sissy!"

"I told you a hundred times I'm not looking for a boyfriend. And I told you a hundred _more_ times not to call me Sissy! I have a name!"

"Jeez, I'm sorry!" Atticus said as she let go. "Can't say I never did anything for you. By the way, do you have any glitter I can borrow?"

"Uh…What do you need glitter for?" Jaden asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Isn't it obvious?" Atticus said, putting on a grin. "Sparkly vampires pick up more chicks! Haven't you seen those new movies?"

Alexis put her hand to her face. "Atticus, you know full well I hated those stupid movies! And who likes…?"

"Sparkle! Sparkle! Sparkle!" You guessed it. That was from Mindy and Jasmine who were happily pumping their fists. They, respectively, were dressed as Cyber Angel Dakini and Cyber Angel Idaten.

Alexis couldn't help but hang her head. "I need to make new friends."

"You're…not mad at me?" Syrus asked as Missy got a drink from the punch bowl.

"Of course I'm still mad at you," Missy snapped. "But taking it out on you won't make my nose heal any faster…no matter how much better it would make me feel."

"I'm sorry!" Syrus bowed his head to her. "I'll apologize as much as you want!"

"I heard you the first time. Jeez. You're really nothing like…" Missy froze and Syrus slowly lifted his head. The shock amplified duel from last week was still fresh in their minds.

"I…haven't seen Zane since that duel," Syrus spoke up. "It's like he disappeared."

"Oh," Missy said. "Is that so?"

"Do you still like him?" Syrus asked. "If it's any comfort, I think you make butterfly wings look amazing."

Missy kept her back to Syrus, but looked to the front of the hall. "Looks like Atticus is ready to start."

"Good evening, Duel Academy!" Atticus shouted into a microphone, causing the girls in the audience to go wild. He didn't get any glitter, but he did get a black eye, courtesy of "Sissy." "I apologize that Zane couldn't be here tonight. He sends his love, his apologies, and a pumpkin-shaped bucket of candy. Actually, that last one was my idea. Anyhoo, we're just about ready to start the music. Does anyone have any requests?" Once again, the girls burst into chatter, raising all their hands at once. "Okay, okay, settle down. Eenie, meenie, miney…"

"I have a request," another voice sounded on the speakers, causing everyone to go quiet.

"Uh…" Atticus briefly glanced around. "Who said that?"

"I'm right behind you."

Atticus jumped when, practically out of his silhouette, emerged the woman in red with a microphone of her own. The crowd went into chatter, questioning each other on who she was. But there were a select few who knew exactly who it was.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Jaden shouted.

"Holy diabolical witch!" Syrus shouted, earning a weird look from Missy. "Did I really just say that on my own?"

"This is quite a party you're throwing here," the woman said, walking slow circles around Atticus. "You must've known gathering everyone on the island here would draw me out of hiding. Smart boy. But I'm willing to bet not a single one of you brought your Duel Disks, am I wrong?" At that point, an evil black aura emanated from the woman as she smiled a bone-chilling smile. Jaden reached under his cape to grab his cards. "Shame, shame on all of you. It's no fun, but I'll just take your souls without a duel." All of the students freaked out and started colliding and trampling each other to get to the exit while the faculty tried to get everyone to calm down and exit in an orderly manner. The woman, however, held her hand out and it started to crackle with electricity.

"Hold it!"

The woman stopped and turned to glare at Atticus. "There's someone back stage who wants to talk to you," Atticus said. "Please, come out."

The crowd went silent as footsteps could be heard. From backstage stepped out Wesley Reddings, dressed up like an angel, complete with wings and halo. But he still wouldn't get rid of his sunglasses.

"Ohhh, I recognize you," the woman said with a smile. "You have such a strong soul. Certainly your friend knows that, doesn't he?"

"Enough of this," Wesley spoke into a smaller mike wired to his robe. "I know this isn't some random war you're declaring on us. I think we all deserve to know what you're planning…Cosmo Queen."

The gym burst into chatter again and the woman's smile melted in mere seconds. "So someone finally figured out who I really am?"

"I tried to figure out where I'd seen you before since I dueled Dalton at the docks. Obviously, you weren't human. Anyone could tell just by looking at you. I did a little research over the internet and came across the Cosmo Queen card. Aside from a few missing articles of jewelry, your appearance matches the card perfectly."

"I knew you were a smart boy," the woman said, putting her long fingers together. "You're right. I am missing a few things. I simply feel naked without them. I simply must remedy that!"

She spread her arms wide and a pillar of light erupted around her, causing Atticus to jump back several feet. Materializing on her was a pair of golden bands around her arms as well as an enormous regal-looking gold and green collar around her neck. And beneath that collar was a golden choker with an eyeball design. Another golden band materialized around her waist. Her hair briefly fanned out in the light before curling up into some strange headdress that looked like it would snap a normal person's neck just by leaning the wrong way.

"Ahh, much better. Now where were we?"

"I can't see anything," Chazz said, still on the floor with his costume crushed to oblivion. "Are we boned?"

**-XX-XX-**

Alexis: Sissy?

Duo: OW! Who threw that? Anyway, you now know the true identity of my main antagonist: the Duel Monster Spirit, Cosmo Queen (2900/2450). I never noticed before, but that headdress makes her look a lot like Rita Repulsa. Also, those extra golden bands aren't really on the card, but I added them to make her more regal looking. And that choker? It's the Shadow Charm the vampire Camula wore. I believed it to be the most dangerous.

Anyway, Cosmo Queen decides to inform the students of her nasty little plan and has another special guest ready for a duel. Can you guess who it is?


End file.
